ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Cement Kilns

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what controls exist over the (a) level and (b) toxicity of emissions from cement kilns used for co-incineration; what chemical analysis of the (i) product and (ii) dust generated is carried out; and how these controls compare in respect of maximum emission levels with standard incinerators.

Elliot Morley: Cement kilns are regulated by the Environment Agency under the Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 (the PPC Regulations). The PPC Regulations control industrial pollution through a system of permits, and require that operators use the best available techniques ("BAT") to control pollution from their activities. In determining applications for PPC permits, the Environment Agency considers the level and toxicity of emissions and sets permit conditions to ensure a high level of protection to the environment (inclusive of human health) as a whole.
	The analysis of the final cement product is outside the remit of the Environment Agency. Dust generated from the process is collected in abatement equipment and then discarded from the process. Such material is classified as a waste and its generation and subsequent management are regulated under PPC at the installation, and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 once the dust is discarded from the installation. Under certain circumstances the alkalinity levels in this type of waste may be sufficient for it to be given the technical designation of "hazardous" waste. The analysis required would depend on whether the material is consigned for recovery, landfill or any other treatment for disposal.
	The maximum emission levels specified for installations manufacturing cement or incinerating waste are based on what the Environment Agency considers to be BAT for each individual installation, but also take into consideration local factors and other relevant statutory requirements. As the technologies for cement manufacture and waste incineration are different, the maximum emission limits for the principal emissions (oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, particulates etc.) are not directly comparable.

Cement Kilns

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what controls exist over the nature of fuels used in cement kilns where co-incineration takes place.

Elliot Morley: Cement kilns that co-incinerate waste are regulated by the Environment Agency under the Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 ("the PPC Regulations"). The operator is required to comply with the 1989 Municipal Waste Incineration Directives (89/429/EEC and 89/369/EEC), the 1994 Hazardous Waste Incineration Directive (94/67/EC) and from 28 December 2005 the Waste incineration Directive (2000/76/EC).
	The Environment Agency is the regulator for such cement kilns. Permits issued under the PPC Regulations contain permit conditions which control the type and nature of the fuel to be used, and establish the operating conditions under which that fuel could be used.

Cement Kilns

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the types of (a) fuels and (b) raw materials used since 1 January in the production of cement at Rugby Cement Works, Rugby.

Elliot Morley: Since 1 January 2003 to date the cement works in Rugby has used as fuel: coal, fuel oil (for site vehicles) and gas oil (as start up fuel); and as raw materials: chalk, clay, grinding aids and air entrainers, gypsum, iron oxide source, limestone filler, lubricating oils and other maintenance fluids and pulverised fuel ash.

Flooding (Medmenham and Marlow)

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 17 September 2003, Official Report, columns 776–77W, on flooding, what progress has been made with regard to pre-feasibility studies to identify options for the alleviation of flooding in Medmenham and Marlow.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 13 November 2003
	I understand that the Environment Agency's study of options for reducing flood risk in Medmenham and related areas will be concluded by the end of November. The agency is planning to present the findings to local flood action groups and councils in December and January. I also understand that a report on the agency's study of options for Firview Close, Marlow is expected by the end of November. In both cases the conclusion of studies is a month later than expected previously because the agency's consultants have been looking at further possible options.
	I understand that the agency's consultants have completed a pre-feasibility investigation into options for the Pound Lane area, Marlow, and that the indications are that a scheme to construct a bund at the rear of Pound Lane to reduce the impact of overland flooding may be justifiable. Further investigations into groundwater problems would be required at feasibility stage.

GM Crops

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent meetings she has had with her EU counterparts at which plans to change the procedure for approval of GM (a) foods and (b) seeds within the EU were discussed;
	(2)  what recent meetings she has had with her EU counterparts to discuss regulation of GM crops; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Ministers from the Department have regular discussions with their EU counterparts on issues relating to genetically modified crops, seeds and foods. The issue has, in particular, featured on the agenda for several recent meetings of Councils of Agriculture and Environment Ministers.
	For instance, at the Environment Council in July 2003 EU Ministers agreed to two new EC Regulations. One Regulation elaborates and extends existing rules on traceability and labelling of any GM product. The other Regulation sets up a more centralised and specific regime for the authorisation and labelling of GM food and animal feed, focused on the new European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). It introduces, for the first time, specific rules on GM animal feed and requires the safety aspects of any GMO intended for use in both foods and feed to be considered together.
	At a meeting of the Agriculture Council in September 2003 there was a discussion on the European Commission's guidelines on the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops. Final EU decisions on pending applications for consent to grow GM crops are not expected until next year.
	EU discussions on the setting of thresholds for adventitious presence of approved GMOs in non-GM seeds are currently being conducted at official level.

GM Crops

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the effects she estimates the adoption of genetically modified crops in the UK would have on (a) the cost of farming and (b) profits for farmers.

Elliot Morley: As part of the GM dialogue process the Government have sponsored the Strategy Unit to carry out a study of the costs and benefits of GM crops, They published their report on 11 July. Comments were invited on the report and a summary of these will be published later this year.
	The main conclusions of the report were that existing GM crops could offer some cost and convenience advantages to UK farmers. However, any economic benefit to the UK is likely to be limited in the short term as only a narrow range of existing crops are currently suited to UK conditions and weak consumer demand is likely to limit take-up. Looking to the longer term, future developments in GM crops have the potential to offer more wide ranging benefits to farmers and consumers.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent evidence there is on the impact of the effect of herbicide use on GM maize, with particular reference to levels of herbicide use; and what assessment has been made of that evidence.

Elliot Morley: The recently published results of the farm-scale evaluations represent the largest study ever made of the impact of herbicide use on GM maize. A copy of the results have been placed in the Library.
	The results of the farm-scale evaluations, and the results of other published work, are currently being considered by the Government's statutory advisers on GM crop releases—The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE). Their advice is expected in December or January.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has held with the Royal Society in respect of herbicide regimes used within the farm-scale evaluations.

Elliot Morley: Ministers from the Department have held no discussions with the Royal Society regarding herbicide regimes in the farm-scale evaluations.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether decisions will be made by her Department in respect of applications to grow GM crops in the UK before the final results of the farm scale trials are published.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 17 November 2003
	The final results for three of the four GM crops tested in the farm scale evaluations (beet, forage maize and spring-sown oilseed rape) were published in October 2003. The results for the other GM crop (autumn-sown oilseed rape) will be published next year. Our statutory expert advisers on GMO releases—the Advisory Committee on Release into the Environment (ACRE)—are considering the results for the first three crops and we expect their advice in December or January.
	Decisions on whether or not any particular GM crop should be authorised for commercial use in the EU are subject to collective agreement by all EU member states. It is not possible to say precisely when these EU decisions will be taken, but we do not expect any decisions on current applications to cultivate GM crops until well into next year.
	There are currently 21 applications for proposed commercial GM products being processed across the EU, 12 of which include cultivation of GM crops (no such application has been made in the UK). Of the 12 applications for cultivation, 10 have not yet completed their initial assessment by the member states in which the applications were made; the other two have received favourable initial assessments, and have been forwarded for scrutiny and comment to the European Commission and all other member states. Neither is a GM crop involved in the farm scale evaluations and in both cases the UK has objected to the applications on the grounds that the applicants have not yet supplied sufficient information for us to make an adequate risk assessment of the likely effects of the GM crops in question on the environment.
	The GM forage maize in the farm scale evaluation trials (Bayer T25) already has a consent under EU GM safety legislation for commercial cultivation throughout Europe. This was granted in 1998. Based on the FSE results, the UK will reach a view on whether this consent should be maintained, altered or revoked. Other member states will also need to consider this.

Landfill

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to ensure that UK companies are informed of measures required to comply with the European Landfill Directive.

Elliot Morley: Since the Landfill Directive was agreed by the Council of Ministers in April 1999, the Government have carried out four separate consultation exercises to ensure that all the issues were fully aired. Also, a number of stakeholders groups that include representatives of UK industry, such as the Hazardous Waste Forum and the Landfill Directive Implementation Group, have discussed different aspects of the Directive. For example, the Hazardous Waste Forum is developing an action plan that includes a commitment to a communication strategy to raise awareness of industry to forthcoming legislative changes on hazardous waste.
	Currently, two further consultation exercises are being carried out; one dealing with the Directive targets to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill and the other covering the implementation of the waste acceptance criteria requirements that were added to the Directive by Council Decision 2003/33 of 13 December 2002.

Marine Consents and Environment Unit

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  which criteria have been established by the Marine Consents and Environment Unit for time periods for the issue of licences; and what percentage of closures have been achieved within the time period in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many licences have been issued by the Marine Consents and Environment Unit in each of the last five years; how many were refused; and what the average time taken was for (a) consultation and (b) approval of the licences.

Elliot Morley: The Marine Consents and Environment Unit (MCEU) is a joint-departmental unit that was set up in April 2001 by my Department and the Department for Transport. Its role is to administer the marine works consents for which each Department has responsibility under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (FEPA), the Coast Protection Act 1949, the Telecommunications Act 1984 and certain other local legislation. The unit also processes licence applications under FEPA in waters for which the National Assembly for Wales is the licensing authority.
	The unit's published guidance notes and website (http://www.mceu.gov.uk) make clear that a period of at least 10 weeks is normally required to process a straightforward application but that larger schemes (such as offshore windfarms and large port developments) and those in sensitive marine areas may take substantially longer. Much of this time is taken up by the consultation process with a range of outside bodies, which are normally given six weeks to respond.
	The numbers of FEPA licences issued by the MCEU in each 12 month period since the unit was established is as follows.
	
		
			 Year (1 April-31 March) Number of FEPA licences issued (including renewals and variations) 
		
		
			 2001–02 (with effect from 1 April) 523 
			 2002–03 522 
			 2003–04 (to 13 November) 360 (a further 101 applications being processed) 
		
	
	Since the MCEU was established 10 FEPA licences have been refused. However, in a number of cases, licences have only been issued where changes or restrictions to the original application have been agreed so as to mitigate adverse environmental impact or interference to other users of the sea.
	The average time taken by MCEU to determine a FEPA licence (excluding licence variations) has been 12.5 weeks; 56 per cent. of applications have been processed within 10 weeks rising to 75 per cent. within 14 weeks. Where assessment of an application has taken longer, a licence will often have been processed so as to meet the requested start date for the consent.
	Full equivalent data in respect of Coast Protection and Telecommunications Act consents are not readily available. However, 162 such consents have been issued by MCEU since July 2002 with an estimated further 150 consents granted by the unit up to end June 2002.
	The unit has recently introduced the facility to make applications on-line and further improvements to streamline the processing of applications—such as electronic consultation—is under consideration.

Parrett Catchment Project

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what fee is paid to the Chairman of the Parrett Catchment project.

Elliot Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 13 February 2003, Official Report, column 884W and 3 July 2003, Official Report, column 117W, in which I explained that the Parrett Catchment Project is an independent stakeholder forum. The Parrett Catchment Project is not required to make any declaration to this Department regarding the appointment or remuneration of its officers. The Parrett Catchment Project is not funded by Defra, and we have no knowledge of any fees paid to the current chairman.

Performance Monitoring

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the performance targets that (a) her Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are required to meet; and if she will specify for each target (i) who sets it and (ii) who monitors achievement against it.

Alun Michael: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) Key performance targets for Defra are agreed as part of the Spending Review and the latest set were published in Spending Review 2002: Public Service Agreements 2003–2006 (Cm 5571). 2.3 Defra's SR2002 Public Service Agreement targets were decided upon following a process of consultation and negotiation involving Ministers, Defra's management board, and all business areas. Final decisions on the selection and number of targets were agreed with HM Treasury. The process observed the need to maintain a degree of continuity between previous Public Service Agreements and departmental priorities.
	The Department monitors progress towards achieving all its outstanding Public Service Agreement targets along with HM Treasury and the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit and progress is reported regularly. We provide a full outturn against all of the Department's Public Service Agreement targets in our departmental Report. The most recent was published in May 2003 (Cm 5919). We also provide an outturn of progress in our Autumn Performance Report. The next Report is due to be published in November 2003.
	(b) A full list of the Department's NDPBs and Executive Agencies can be found in our departmental Report (Cm 5919).
	Where targets have been set for these, details can be found in each Executive Agency's or NDPB's business plan and/or annual report. Details of how to access the websites of the organisations concerned can be found in Annex C of the departmental Report. The Department monitors achievement against appropriate targets, through, amongst other things, meetings between the Secretary of State, the relevant Minister, Permanent Secretary and/or the Chief Executive.

Primates

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many primates were imported for research into each member state of the European Union in 2002.

Elliot Morley: Our records show that 2,068 primates were imported into the UK from outside the EU for medical/research purposes in 2002.
	The Department does not keep records of imports into other EU member states.

Printer Cartridges

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has undertaken of the environmental impact of refilling and reusing printer cartridges.

Elliot Morley: The Government have not undertaken an assessment on the environmental impact of refilling and reusing printer cartridges. However, industry figures suggest that the UK imports 10 million toner and 30 million inkjet cartridges each year, which produce about 20,000 tonnes of waste at the end of their life, industry estimates that, at present, some 30–40 per cent., equivalent to 6–8,000 tonnes of printer cartridges are diverted from landfill for reuse and recycling.

Waste Incineration

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports she has received on the release of dioxins caused by the incineration of waste.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency collates information on releases of dioxins from waste incinerators and places it in its "Pollution Inventory" which is available through the environment pages of its web site, www.environment-agency.gov.uk.

Waste Incineration

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of the original energy output is typically produced by the incineration of waste.

Elliot Morley: According to a draft version of "Energy From Waste—A Good Practice Guide" to be published by the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management later this month, a typical energy from waste plant generates electricity from waste with an efficiency of around 22–25 per cent. However if district heating/combined heat and power systems are incorporated into the design of plant energy generation, efficiencies of up to 85 per cent. are possible.

Home Composting

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has commissioned on the impact on human health of home composting.

Elliot Morley: No research has been commissioned by the Department on the impact on human health of home composting. However, Defra is developing a new three-year waste research strategy, in direct response to the Strategy Unit Report 'Waste not, Want not', in which new initiatives examining environmental and health-related impacts of wastes will be considered in consultation with the Environment Agency.
	Recent research on behalf of the Environment Agency has suggested that emissions from different forms of home composting systems are, as might be expected, low and difficult to monitor.

Waste (Definition)

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the definition of waste, pursuant to recent judgments by the European Court of Justice.

Elliot Morley: The definition of waste in force in the United Kingdom is the definition in Article 1(a) of the Waste Framework Directive (as amended). It provides that waste means,
	". . . any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard."
	Whether or not a substance is discarded as waste is a matter which must be determined on the facts of the case and the interpretation of the law is a matter for the Courts. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has issued several judgments on the interpretation of the definition of waste and the meaning of "discard". ECJ judgments are binding on member states and their "competent authorities".
	The Government proposes, in consultation with the Environment Agency, to review in the light of the ECJ's judgments the guidance on the interpretation of the definition of waste originally provided in DOE Circular 11/94. But it is not feasible for any revised guidance which the Government issues to determine whether any particular substance is in any particular circumstances discarded as waste. It will be feasible only for any revised guidance to advise on the factors which the ECJ has determined should be taken into account in reaching a decision.

TREASURY

Wood Panel Industry

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people he estimates are employed in the wood panel industry.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Gregory Barker dated 18 November 2003
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about people employed in the wood panel industry. I am replying in his absence. (137095)
	According to the latest available figures from the Annual Business Inquiry, in December 2001 there were 6700 employees in industries whose primary economic activity is "The manufacture of veneer sheets; manufacture of plywood, laminboard, particle board, fibre board and other panels and boards".

Consumer Debt

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the evidence produced by research he has commissioned on the impact of a rise in interest rates on consumer debt.

Ruth Kelly: HM Treasury published evidence on the link between interest rates and consumer behaviour in June 2003 as part of the EMU Five Tests Assessment, in the supporting studies on 'EMU and the Monetary Transmission Mechanism' and 'Housing, Consumption and EMU'.

Correspondence

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter of 1 August from the hon. Member for Aylesbury, on behalf of Mr. M.G. Moore of Great Missenden, about professional indemnity assurance for independent financial advisers.

Ruth Kelly: I have done so.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Iris Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people died from deep vein thrombosis in the last 12 months; and in how many of these cases long haul air travel was found to be a contributory factor.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mrs. Iris Robinson, dated 18 November 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people died from deep vein thrombosis in the last 12 months; and in how many of these cases long haul air travel was found to be a contributory factor.
	Virtually all deaths from deep vein thrombosis occur as a result of a pulmonary embolism, and most pulmonary embolisms arise from deep vein thrombosis in the leg. However, the precise description of this sequence of events leading to death (as provided on the death certificate) affects whether the death is coded as pulmonary embolism or thrombosis. Therefore, a figure combining the two causes is presented in the table below to give a complete and consistent picture over time.
	It is not possible to state if long haul air travel was a contributory factor in deaths from deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism as this information is not routinely entered on the death certificate. The latest available data are for the calendar year 2002. The total number of deaths certified as due to deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in England and Wales in 2002 are therefore given in the table. I am supplying data for the last five years for comparison purposes.
	
		Number of deaths from pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis,(1)persons, England and Wales, 1998–2002(2)
		
			 Calendar year Number of deaths 
		
		
			 1998 6,992 
			 1999 6,877 
			 2000 7,233 
			 2001 7,207 
			 2002 7,009 
		
	
	(1) The cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 415.1, 451.1, 451.2, 451.9 and 453.9 for the years 1997 to 2000, and, for the year 2001, the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revisions (ICD-10) codes 126, 180.1, 180.2, 180.3, 180.9 and 182.9.
	(2) Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year.

Defence Dental Agency

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons the Defence Dental Agency's Account Direction for financial year 1997–98 was withdrawn.

Ruth Kelly: An accounts direction for the Defence Dental Agency (DDA) for 1997–98 was issued in March 1996 on the understanding that satisfactory accounting systems would be in place for that financial year. It was withdrawn in January 1999 when it became apparent that, because of difficulties with the stock recording systems on which DDA and a number of agencies within MOD relied, DDA would be unable to prepare accounts for 1997–98 which would have received an unqualified audit opinion from the Comptroller and Auditor General. At that time, the policy was not to issue accounts directions if there was a probability that the auditors would be unable to give an unqualified opinion—this policy is no longer applied.

Import Tariffs (Israel)

Richard Burden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list United Kingdom companies which have (a) made representations to and (b) signalled their intention to take action against the (i) British Government and (ii) European Union for imposing tariffs on goods entering the United Kingdom, marked as made in Israel, which originated in the Occupied Territories.

John Healey: Two UK companies have requested a formal review under the Customs and Excise Appeals procedure of the duty demanded. The identity of the companies cannot be disclosed for reasons of commercial confidentiality: Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information applies in this instance.
	Customs and Excise are not aware of any UK companies making representations to the European Union.

Industrial and Provident Societies

Terry Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to bring about the level playing field in regulations affecting companies and industrial and provident societies, to which he referred in his letter of 31 July to the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill.

Ruth Kelly: As was stated in my letter of 31 July on this issue, the Government is keen to see, where appropriate, a level playing field between industrial and provident societies and companies and we are currently examining our options for taking forward this agenda.

Insurance Brokers

Roy Beggs: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures are in place to stop the practice of grossing up by insurance brokers in Northern Ireland; and what plans he has to change the appropriate legislation to protect consumers from the grossing up of insurance premium commissions.

Ruth Kelly: Grossing up is a serious abuse of the market. The Government is giving the Financial Services Authority (FSA) responsibility for regulating general insurance as from 14 January 2004. The FSA is currently consulting on its rules in CP187. The FSA considers there is more opportunity for such market abuse in the commercial rather than the retail market, and therefore does not propose to introduce commission disclosure for retail customers. But, for commercial customers, it will be requiring intermediaries to disclose commission earned by them and any affiliated intermediaries if requested to do so by a commercial customer.

International Finance Facility

Julia Drown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he estimates agreement will be reached on the International Finance Facility; and when he estimates it will have funds in it.

John Healey: Only by pooling the additional resources pledged as part of the Monterrey Consensus, and leveraging these through an International Finance Facility designed to deliver the additional US $50 billion a year needed to meet the Millennium Development Goals, can the international community meet the challenge of halving poverty by 2015. That is why the Government continues to make the case for the Facility with all our international partners. Once agreement by donor countries has been reached the facility could start to deliver the additional aid very quickly.
	The Facility received wide support from other countries at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF in September. The Bank and Fund have been mandated to do further work on financing for development options, including the International Finance Facility, reporting back at the Spring and Annual Meetings in 2004.
	The Meetings also agreed that developing and emerging market countries should be consulted. This process will culminate in a Ministerial conference on Financing for Development in Spring 2004, chaired by the French Government.
	The UK government also continues to build the support in civil society necessary to make the initiative a reality. In February the Treasury will be hosting a conference bringing together church leaders, senior political figures, NGOs and the President of the World Bank to discuss aid and trade.

Large Scale Voluntary Transfer

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to public funds was of large scale voluntary transfer for each of the last 10 years.

Keith Hill: Where a large scale voluntary transfer has a positive value there is no additional cost to public funds. Where there is a negative value a dowry may be required. Between 1996 and 2000 the Office provided dowry funding for negative value estate based transfers through the Estates Renewal Challenge Fund. The annual provision was 1996–97. £7.8 million; 1997–98, £132.9 million; 1998–99, £146.3 million, and 1999–2000, £201.2 million. It is possible that other Government programmes have provided financial contributions to large scale voluntary transfers however a central record is not maintained. However, the information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Leases

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) lock-up garages, (b) car parking spaces, (c) advertising hoardings and (d) charity shops were leased in the last year for which figures are available.

Ruth Kelly: I regret that this information is not available.

Ministerial Visits

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the UK visits made by ministers in his Department in each of the last five years, broken down by constituency.

Ruth Kelly: The detailed information requested in respect of UK travel by Treasury Ministers is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Network Rail

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his forecast is of losses on Network Rail for 2003–04.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	The Strategic Rail Authority receives regular financial information from Network Rail as part of the agreement for SRA providing Network Rail with standby credit facilities. The financial information is commercially sensitive. Network Rail's Annual Report and Accounts for 2002–03, the most recently available, showed a loss before tax of £290 million.

Opinion Polling and Market Research

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) HM Treasury, (b) Customs and Excise and (c) the Inland Revenue spent on (i) opinion polling and (ii) market research in the last financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: Expenditure in 2002–03 on external survey research by Customs and Excise was £255,774. Inland Revenue spent £1.6 million on market research (this figure includes: quantitative surveys; qualitative research; media and advertising research; and business-to-business industrial research; public opinion surveys; and desk research). In respect of HM Treasury I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 April 2003, Official Report, column 168W.

Presidential Visit

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated economic cost is of the effect on businesses in London of the forthcoming visit of President Bush.

Ruth Kelly: Policing operations will aim to minimise any such costs.

Productivity Growth

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of productivity growth in the public sector was on the last year for which figures are available.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Redwood, dated 18 November 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on productivity growth in the public sector. (133660)
	I refer you to the article "Measuring Government Output and Productivity" which was published in Economic Trends, July 2003. The purpose of this article was to report work in progress at the Office for National Statistics. To illustrate the methods used, it included experimental results that provide an indicative estimate of productivity change for government. The latest year for which these figures were shown was 2001 when productivity change (over the previous year) was shown as -2 per cent. This estimate should be used in conjunction with the guidance provided in the article.
	The article is available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/article.asp?id=400
	No estimates have been published covering the whole of the public sector.

Taxation and Transfer Pricing

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list taxation and transfer pricing cases involving United Kingdom companies which have been (a) decided and (b) entered for decision by the European Court of Justice in each of the last five years; and if he will estimate the net revenue effect in each case.

Dawn Primarolo: No tax cases concerning transfer pricing involving UK companies have been decided or entered for decision by the European Court of Justice in any of the last five years.

Thalidomide Trust

Nick Harvey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the annual cost to the Treasury of allowing income payments from the Thalidomide Trust to thalidomide victims to be tax exempt; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

Treasury Statistics

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether the HM Treasury official involved in the early release of statistics on 24 October had authorised access to those statistics; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the arrangements are for the preparation of briefing materials on statistics to which HM Treasury has pre-release access; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will list all the people outside the Office for National Statistics who had pre-release access to the retail sales estimates and other market moving statistics; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  when the provisions for pre-release access to National Statistics releases by HM Treasury (a) Ministers and (b) officials were last changed; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  if he will list the HM Treasury provisions for pre-release access to National Statistics releases by HM Treasury (a) Ministers and (b) officials.

Ruth Kelly: In line with long-standing practice under this and previous Administrations, Ministers with policy responsibility for the relevant subject matter, and a small number of their officials, are granted limited early access to statistical releases to enable them to respond completely when questions arise at the time of the release of the data. The list of Treasury Ministers and officials who have authorised pre-release access to National Statistics First Releases is available on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website.
	In addition the Macroeconomic Statistics Service Level Agreement, drawn up between ONS and HM Treasury in 1998, lists a further small number of individuals at HM Treasury who receive copies of HM Treasury's internal briefing on these statistical releases before the publication of the data. Since 1998, this list has been updated to reflect changes to personnel and staff structures with the overall number of individuals reduced from eight to seven.
	As confirmed by the Treasury at the time, the official from whom the September retail sales data was improperly ascertained had authorised early access to those data.
	As noted in the Treasury's statement of 5 November, the Treasury views this incident extremely seriously and is rigorously examining all its procedures to ensure that any repetition is avoided.

Website

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the (a) content and (b) design of his Department's website.

Ruth Kelly: The Treasury has an ongoing programme of user testing for its website. The views of external and internal users are regularly sampled, with the findings feeding into improvements to layout indexing and contents. This development programme also takes account of the accessibility and usability guidelines set out by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the Office of the e-Envoy.

TRANSPORT

A34

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive a progress report from the Highways Agency on its review of the A34; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Highways Agency's Route Management Strategy of the A34 will report in Summer 2004 and will cover limited measures on the A34 itself. Also, the Government Office for the South East has initiated a scoping study into wider problems and issues along the corridor from Southampton to Bicester. Results of which will be known in the New Year and will inform future decisions.

Biofuels

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking towards the introduction of (a) bioethanol and (b) biodiesel fuels for road users.

David Jamieson: The Government introduced a 20 pence per litre fuel duty incentive for biodiesel in July 2002, which has already resulted in a big increase in biodiesel sales. A similar duty incentive for bioethanol is due to come into effect in January 2005.

London Underground

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on safety on the London Underground.

Tony McNulty: London Underground is one of the safest transport systems in the world. Its safety is the responsibility of London Underground Ltd, which transferred from the Government to the London Mayor on 15 July this year.

London Underground

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the service levels stipulated in the agreement registered by the Government with private sector companies to run the London Underground.

Tony McNulty: London Underground is run by London Underground Ltd. (LUL), which is owned by Transport for London. LUL's contracts with the private sector infrastructure companies require the latter to meet performance specifications designed to deliver faster, more reliable and more pleasant journeys for passengers.

Rail Services

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has for improvements in rail transport in the West Midlands.

Tony McNulty: A number of improvements have recently taken place. For the future, the Strategic Rail Authority has announced a new approach for planning of the railway network through "Regional Planning Assessments". These will establish key objectives for each region within a long-term context. The West Midlands Regional Planning Assessment is due for publication in Autumn 2004.

Cycling

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his Department's strategy for (a) increasing cycling journey numbers and (b) reducing cycling injuries and deaths.

Tony McNulty: Our strategy for encouraging cycling involves improving both cycling infrastructure and promotion. We have assessed provision for cyclists in all English local authorities. We have initiated the Cycling Projects Fund and given over £4 million to local cycling initiatives. The Department is also a major contributor to the cross-departmental Activity Co-ordination Team, which is seeking to raise levels of physical activity across the board. On the safety front, and in addition to encouraging better facilities for cyclists, we are promoting measures which cyclists can take to protect themselves, such as taking cycle training and making themselves conspicuous. We are also improving training and testing for motorists.

A40

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of (a) traffic flows and (b) congestion on the A40 in Cheltenham since the opening of the new GCHQ building;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect on traffic flows of recent changes to the A40 Sixways Junction in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham.

David Jamieson: I have asked the Acting Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Stephen Hickey, to write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Stephen Hickey to Mr. Nigel Jones, dated 18 November 2003
	I have been asked by David Jamieson to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about what assessments have been made on traffic flows and congestion at specific locations on the A40 in Cheltenham.
	The Highways Agency conducted a queue survey at the A40 Sixways Junction in Charlton Kings on Tuesday 4 November 2003. In the morning peak there appears to be little change in the length of queues; the main change is in the way the traffic moves. Since the installation of the new signals, traffic moves through the junction in a more orderly manner.
	No formal assessment of traffic flows has been carried out since the assessment that was made as part of the planning process for the GCHQ building. Not all relocations to the new building are complete therefore it is too soon for a meaningful assessment of the impact of the development to be conducted. GCHQ, Gloucestershire County Council, Cheltenham Borough Council and the Highways Agency are working together to find ways to mitigate the impact of the new GCHQ building.

A414

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he will take to improve road safety on the A414 from Chelmsford towards the M25.

David Jamieson: The section of the A414 between Chelmsford and the M11/Harlow junction is the responsibility of Essex County Council. Essex County Council have identified the route as having a poor accident record and it is now the subject of a priority route study to determine the main causes and patterns of accidents. Initial analysis has been undertaken and accident remedial measures are being determined for implementation in the next financial year, subject to the availability of funding.

Altmark Case

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the implications of the Altmark case on (a) ferry services sailing from ports in Scotland, (b) the application of the EU Ports Directive in Scotland and (c) competition between modes of transport by sea, air and rail.

David Jamieson: Financial assistance for ferry services within Scotland is a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive. The Altmark case is very complex and the Scottish Executive and my Department are assessing the potential impact of the judgment on domestic and international maritime services and inter-modal competition.
	The Access to Port Services Directive has not yet been adopted. While its potential application in the UK, including Scotland, has been considered during the negotiating process, it has not been possible, as yet, to make a detailed assessment of the potential impact of the Altmark case on implementation.

Road Safety

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the materials used to demarcate the hard shoulder on motorways in alerting drowsy drivers when they cross the hard shoulder;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the safety systems for demarcating hard shoulders on motorways.

David Jamieson: Raised rib edge markings used to demarcate the hard shoulder have been found to be highly effective in alerting drivers of cars and light vehicles when they stray across the line onto the hard shoulder. They may be less effective in alerting the drivers of larger vehicles.

Heathrow Airport

Robert Marshall-Andrews: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of night flights into Heathrow operated on (a) a westerly and (b) an easterly flightpath (i) in 2001, (ii) in 2002 and (iii) between January and August 2003.

Kim Howells: The number and proportion of aircraft landing at night between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00a.m. on westerly and easterly flightpaths in each period was:
	
		
			  Movements westerly Proportion westerly (percentage) Movements easterly Proportion easterly (percentage) 
		
		
			 2001 16,612 72 6,460 28 
			 2002 18,095 69 8,129 31 
			 January–August 2003 9,373 64 5,282 36

Nuclear Waste

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what amounts of (a) low level, (b) intermediate-level and (c) high-level nuclear waste have been transported by train in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer on 29 October 2003
	The regulations that ensure the safe transport of radioactive materials do not distinguish on safety grounds between waste and any other radioactive materials. This is because there are no special safety issues pertaining specifically to the transport of waste. There is no regulatory requirement for this department to be notified of waste shipments.
	The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) carried out studies in 1984 and 1991 examining road and rail transport of radioactive material in the UK for the Department. The latest report identified that around 5000 containers of low-level waste and some 765 irradiated fuel flasks (this material may not have been classified as waste) were transported in 1989. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.
	A further study has been commissioned from NRPB, which is due for completion at the end of 2004. This will contain a similar analysis of national trends. The report will be lodged in the house library when complete.

Nuclear Waste

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reports his Department has received about plans to increase the transport by train of nuclear waste through London; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 29 October 2003
	In October 2001 the Greater London Authority (GLA) investigated the transport of irradiated fuel through London. This concluded that there would be no increase in the frequency of transport of spent nuclear fuel through London during the imminent decommissioning of some nuclear reactors in the south east. The Department is not convinced that the conclusions of this report present a full and accurate picture of future trends.
	A study has been commissioned from NRPB, which is due for completion at the end of 2004. This will contain an analysis of national trends in the shipment of radioactive material. In particular it will look at trends expected as a result of decommissioning. The report will be lodged in the house Library when complete.
	The Department has offered to collaborate with the GLA by including a specific study of London within the national study. This would provide the information requested.

Nuclear Waste

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trains went through London with (a) low-level, (b) intermediate-level and (c) high-level nuclear waste in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 29 October 2003
	The organisation that operates trains transporting irradiated fuel (Direct Rail Services) has stated that shipments through London have averaged three per week on a reasonably constant basis over the past five years.
	A study examining road and rail transport of radioactive material nationally has been commissioned from the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), which is due for completion at the end of 2004. This will contain an analysis of national trends of numbers and types of shipments. The report will be lodged in the Library of the House when complete.
	In October 2001 the Greater London Authority (GLA) investigated the transport of irradiated fuel through London. In response to this the Department has offered to collaborate with the GLA by including a specific study of London within the national study.

Pensions (Network Rail)

Robert Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the decision by Network Rail to close its final salary pension scheme.

Tony McNulty: Network Rail's decision about its final salary pension arrangements is a matter for Network rail itself and the independent corporate trustee of the Railways Pension Scheme.
	It is our understanding that there is no intention to breach the arrangements put in place to protect staff pensions on privatisation of the industry. The relevant final salary arrangement will still be open to protected rail industry staff who transfer voluntarily to Network Rail.

Regulatory Proportionality

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the principle of regulatory proportionality will be incorporated in the proposed amendments to Regulation 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulation relating to lightly tinted windows.

David Jamieson: Regulation 32 is not being amended. The regulations are being clarified to verify that the prescribed minimum light transmittance values apply irrespective of whether or not windows have tinted film stuck on them.

Road Congestion

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the rates of congestion were on the M54 between Shrewsbury and Telford in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the rates of congestion were on the A5 road between Shrewsbury and Wrexham in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: I have asked the Acting Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Stephen Hickey, to write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Stephen Hickey to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated 18 November 2003
	I have been asked by Tony McNulty to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about rates of congestion on the A5 road between Shrewsbury and Telford and Shrewsbury and Wrexham in each year since 1997.
	Established modelling techniques are used by the Department for Transport and the Highways Agency in England to assess existing road congestion and forecast future congestion for specific purposes such as the preparation of road improvements. A consequence of this is a 'stress map' indicating those parts of the motorway and trunk road network that are experiencing peak and off-peak congestion. The latest available version of the map was published in the Ten Year Plan for Transport, a copy of which is available in the House Library, The length of A5 between the Welsh border and Wrexham is the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly.
	Regular measurement of journey times at the level of detail required (by most congestion indicators) has not been carried out in the past, mainly on economic grounds.
	The opening of the Highways Agency's Traffic Control Centre next year will greatly improve our knowledge of traffic conditions and will lead to comprehensive information on journey times and speeds being made generally available to the travelling public.

School Transport

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Department for Education and Skills regarding funding for school transport.

Tony McNulty: The Secretary of State has had a number of discussions with the Secretary of State for Education in the course of developing our new joint initiative on school travel, which was launched on 17 September.

Strategic Rail Authority

Robert Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the decision by the Strategic Rail Authority to take over the south-east franchise.

Tony McNulty: On 26 June 2003, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) formally notified Connex that its franchise would be terminated by 31 December 2003. This followed Connex's failure to introduce agreed changes to their financial monitoring and reporting arrangements designed to ensure that the substantial public subsidy they had received was being properly used. With Connex's agreement, the franchise was in fact terminated on 9 November 2003 and the service is now being run by the SRA through a subsidiary company, South Eastern Trains. This will continue only until a private sector operator is appointed to run the proposed Integrated Kent Franchise, which is expected to begin in 2005.

Train Performance

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many meetings he has had with train operating companies to discuss train performance in the last six months.

Kim Howells: Departmental Ministers meet regularly with train operating companies to discuss performance. Since July 2003, I have visited South West Trains, Midland Mainline and South Central, Virgin, Silverlink, Centro, Central and Wales and Borders.

Transport Security

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken since 11 September 2001 to improve security at (a) ports and (b) rail freight terminals.

David Jamieson: My Department's approach is to manage the risk to the industry arising from the threat of a terrorist attack. The security measures imposed seek to minimise the industries' vulnerabilities while recognising operational realities.
	Following the events of 11 September 2001 the security programmes for all modes of transport were reviewed and some adjustments made. The programmes are kept under review. While it is not our practice to detail the required security measures for obvious reasons, we believe that the core policies and baseline measures and the levels of security required are appropriate.
	In respect of the security at ports, our national regime (which has been in place since 1990) will be augmented next year with the implementation of the recently agreed International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) global maritime security regime.
	For rail freight terminals my Department issued a National Railway Security Programme in July 2001. The review of the programme (which covers the whole of the Great Britain rail network) confirmed that the measures required for domestic rail freight depots are appropriate and proportionate to the threat.
	International rail freight terminals using the channel tunnel have been subject to more stringent requirements since the opening of the channel tunnel in 1994. International rail freight terminals have protective security measures in place and all rail freight is liable to be searched. Since 11 September 2001 the level of search required has been increased.

US Naval Ships (Disposal)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the arrangements approved by his Department for the refuelling of tug boats towing vessels from the United States for decommissioning at Hartlepool.

David Jamieson: The passage plan approved by my Department did not specify places or arrangements for refuelling of the relevant tug boats. Such arrangements fell within the responsibility of the towage company. However the plan identified places, including the Azores, where refuelling could be carried out if required.

Vehicles (Tinted Windows)

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of how many vehicles which have (a) lightly tinted and (b) heavily tinted windows do not comply with the proposed amendments to Regulation 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations.

David Jamieson: A vehicle with windows which has light transmittance values less than the prescribed minima in Regulation 32 is unlawful irrespective of whether it might subjectively be described as having either 'light' or 'heavy' tints. Information on the number of vehicles which do not comply with the regulation is not held.

ADVOCATE-GENERAL FOR SCOTLAND

Departmental Expenditure (Official Residences)

Howard Flight: To ask the Advocate-General how much the Department spent on (a) maintenance, (b) renovation, (c) council tax and (d) running costs of residential properties used by Ministers and officials in each year since 1997.

Lynda Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend, the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland.

CABINET OFFICE

Better Regulation Task Force

David Drew: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the Government will respond to the Better Regulation Task Force's report, "Imaginative Thinking for Better Regulation"; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Government expect to respond to the report before Christmas this year.

Public Administration

Colin Challen: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what action the Cabinet Office is taking to reduce the burden of administration in the public sector.

Douglas Alexander: My Department is working closely with colleagues in other Departments to take forward a programme of measures in relation to this matter.
	This joint work has delivered a significant number of actions that directly benefit front line staff, for example:
	simplifying the Manual of Guidance for police and CPS on the completion of prosecution paperwork;
	reducing the information schools have to supply when they make applications (e.g. for specialist school status); and
	scrapping the requirement for GPs to sign passport applications.

Public Appointments

Malcolm Savidge: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps have been taken towards improving transparency in the public appointments process.

Douglas Alexander: The Cabinet Office fully supports the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice, which provides Departments with a clear guide to ensure a fair, open and transparent appointments process.

Civil Service

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress the Civil Service is making in appointing women to senior positions.

Douglas Alexander: The Government are strongly committed to equality of opportunity. My Department has put in place a range of programmes to increase the representation of women in the Senior Civil Service.
	Internally, we are coaching and mentoring women in grades just below the Senior Civil Service. Externally, we are working to raise women's awareness of recruitment and secondment opportunities.

Civil Service

David Borrow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps are being taken to increase the proportion of ethnic minority staff in the Senior Civil Service.

Douglas Alexander: We are making good progress against our target to have 3.2 per cent. ethnic minority staff in the Senior Civil Service by 2004–05. The current level is 2.8 per cent., compared with 1.6 per cent. in 1998.
	To help achieve this, my Department is responsible for a number of development schemes as well as undertaking outreach work in order to attract talented ethnic minorities to the Civil Service.

Departmental Floor Space

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what floor space in square metres his Department had use of on (a) 1 May 1997 and (b) 1 November 2003.

Douglas Alexander: On 1 May 1997, the Cabinet Office had use of 104,077 square metres of floor space, and by 1 November 2003, this figure had reduced to 77,734 square metres.

Bechtel

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the contracts for consultancy and other work carried out by Bechtel for agencies responsible to the Office in each year since 1997, stating in each case (a) the nature of the work, (b) the value of the contract and (c) the duration of the contract; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 3 November 2003, Official Report, column 417W. Financial information for former Cabinet Office Agencies prior to 2001 is not available.

Microsoft (Licensing Fees)

Norman Lamb: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much was paid to Microsoft in licensing fees by the Cabinet Office and its agencies in each of the last three years; and how much has been budgeted for (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05.

Douglas Alexander: My Department's accounting systems do not capture comprehensive information on expenditure on specific types of software licences. Expenditure 1 on Microsoft licensing fees that can be identified is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2000–01 3,456,829 
			 2001–02 392,719 
			 2002–03 459,464 
		
	
	In 2000–01, £3.3 million of expenditure related to the purchase of microsoft licences in connection with the Government Gateway project. The Government Gateway is an IT infrastructure which was developed as part of the strategy for delivering electronic Government. It enables electronic transactions between Government, citizens and businesses in a secure, customer-focused and joined-up way.
	Detailed information on budgets for the purchase of Microsoft software in 2003–04 and 2004–05 is not available.
	1 Figures exclude licences purchased on behalf of the Cabinet Office by IT service providers.

SCOTLAND

Market Research

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list each item of market and opinion research commissioned since May 1997 by (a) his Department and (b) agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible; what the purpose of each item was; and whether the results were published.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The Department has not incurred any expenditure on market and opinion research.

Official Properties

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much the Department spent on (a) maintenance, (b) renovation, (c) council tax and (d) running costs of residential properties used by Ministers and officials in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The Department does not own any residential properties.

Work-related Stress

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: In 2002, a small number of staff experienced absence through work-related stress. Further details of cases are covered by Exemption 12 (Privacy of an Individual) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Age Discrimination

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent (a) representations and (b) discussions she has had on extending age discrimination legislation to unpaid voluntary workers; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The Government have consulted widely on age issues and proposals for legislation in two consultation exercises, most recently in Age Matters this summer.
	Unpaid voluntary work does not fall within the scope of the European Employment Directive. Existing legislation on race, gender and disability already has a common definition of employment and this will be used for age. We have committed to consistency in approach and definition across existing, as well as new areas of equality legislation, wherever practicable.

Air Travel (Financial Protection)

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will respond to the consultation by the Civil Airports Authority on financial protection for travellers and package holidaymakers.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We have asked the Civil Aviation Authority to provide us with copies of the responses they have received to their consultation on Financial Protection for Air Travellers. We will consider these responses carefully along with any recommendations that the CAA make to Government as a result of this Consultation.

Animal Welfare

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the kind of experiments animals are used in; what controls are in place to reduce to reduce the unnecessary waste of animals; and what measures are in place to ensure that companies cannot purchase animals for excessively cruel procedures.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	The use of animals in scientific procedures is regulated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which is widely viewed as the most rigorous piece of legislation of its type in the world. It offers a high level of protection to animals whilst recognising the need to use animals in medical research, the development of new medicines and scientific testing. It also has sufficient flexibility to allow the latest ideas and technology to be taken into account when deciding whether the use of animals is justified.
	Under Section 5 (3) of the 1986 Act, project licences are only granted for programmes of work that satisfy one or more of the following purposes: the prevention (whether by the testing of any product or otherwise) or the diagnosis or treatment of disease, ill-health or abnormality, or their effects, in man, animals or plants; the assessment, detection, regulation or modification of physiological conditions in man, animals or plants; the protection of the natural environment in the interests of the health or welfare of man or animals; the advancement of knowledge in biological or behavioural sciences; education or training otherwise than in primary or secondary schools; forensic enquiries; the breeding of animals for experimental or other scientific use.
	In determining whether and on what terms to grant a project licence, Section 5(4) of the 1986 Act requires that the likely adverse effects on the animals concerned must be weighed against the benefit likely to accrue as a result of the programmespecified on the application. For the purposes of this cost/benefit assessment, the cost to the animal is considered as the adverse effects of pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm. The benefits must be for humans, animals or the environment and relate to the scientific and/or medical progress likely to result from the programme outlined in the application.
	Under section 5 (5) of the 1986 Act, a project licence shall only be granted if the purpose of the programme to be specified in the licence cannot be achieved satisfactorily by any other reasonably practicable method not entailing the use of animals; and that the regulated procedures to be used are those which use the minimum number of animals, involve animals with the lowest degree of neurophysiological sensitivity, cause the least pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm, and are most likely to produce satisfactory results.
	Under section 10(2A) and Schedule 2A to the 1986 Act, the Secretary of State will not licence any procedures likely to cause severe pain or distress that cannot be alleviated.

Consumer Credit

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if her Department will initiate discussions with Leeds University Business School about research it has recently conducted on debt collectors.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We are currently considering the research prepared by the Credit Management Research Centre at Leeds University Business School on debt collectors.
	We will discuss the findings with the industry at large.

Consumer Credit

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to standardise the cooling off period for consumer credit contracts and agreements.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government have no plans at present to standardise existing cooling off periods for consumer credit contracts and agreements.

Consumer Rights (Energy)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with Energywatch on measures to help elderly consumers develop a greater understanding of their rights in relation to energy companies.

Stephen Timms: I have discussed with Energywatch some of its proposals to assist vulnerable consumers, including the elderly. Energywatch is committed to making its information and advice services fully accessible to all consumers, particularly vulnerable consumers. It provides information, advice and guidance direct to those consumers in their own communities, helping them be more assertive and confident in dealing with energy companies. Energywatch also works with other agencies to reach elderly and other vulnerable consumers. Its activities in areas such as fuel poverty, debt prevention and management, energy efficiency and promoting access to the competitive market directly benefit elderly consumers, as do its campaigns on mis-selling, erroneous transfers and billing and metering.

Debt Management Companies

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has for the statutory regulation of debt management companies.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Companies providing debt management services are required to be licensed under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Under the Act the Chairman of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has a statutory duty to ensure applicants for a licence are fit to engage in the activities for which they are licensed.
	In December 2001 the OFT issued guidelines to debt management companies to ensure they deal fairly and openly with consumers—the Debt Management Guidance (December 2001) OFT366. A copy of the guidance can be found in the Libraries of the House.
	The guidance requires that companies offering debt management services should comply with the best practice identified in it. Where the OFT has evidence of practices breaching the guidelines they can take action to refuse or revoke the consumer credit licence, or take such other action as appropriate under other legislation (e.g. Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations etc).
	The Consumer Credit White Paper will set out Government measures for reform of the current licensing system in order to ensure it remains relevant in today's marketplace, enables consumers to make informed decisions through increasing transparency, and provides suitable enforcement measures to allow the OFT to deal with those companies who act in a manner inconsistent with the best practice laid out in the Act and Guidance.

Home Accident Surveillance System

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 11 September, Official Report, column 392W, to the hon. Members for Cunninghame, South and for Gateshead East and Washington, West, on the Home Accident Surveillance System, if she will place copies of the representations in the Library; and if she will publish the information from the Home Accident Surveillance System for 2000 to 2002.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I will not place copies of the representations in the Libraries of the House. I have received these on a confidential basis and I do not have permission from any of the individuals or organisations who sent them to make them public.
	I plan to publish the back data from 2000 to 2002 in December.

India

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the UK trade and investment relationship with India.

Mike O'Brien: The bilateral trade and investment relationship between the UK and India is increasingly strong. In 2002, bilateral trade in goods and services was worth some £5 billion. In the first eight months of 2003, UK exports of goods to India rose by over 29 per cent. against the same period in 2002.
	The UK is the fourth largest investor in India (after Mauritius, USA and Japan). India is an increasingly important investor in the UK. The UK receives approximately 60 per cent. of all Indian investment into Europe. There are over 450 Indian companies with a base in the UK; approximately 75 per cent. of these are in the ICT/software sector.
	I look forward to visiting India in the new year to see for myself how our bilateral trade and investment relationship is progressing.

Milk Processing Industry

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the milk processing industry on (a) prices and (b) profitability in that industry.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has had no recent discussions with representatives of the milk processing industry on prices and profitability.

Milk Processing Industry

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to investigate the implementing of further merger activity in the milk processing industry.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has no such plans. With the coming into force of the Enterprise Act on 20 June 2003, decisions on new merger situations are taken by the independent competition authorities, not Ministers.

Mobile Phones

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will press mobile phone companies to standardise practice in notifying customers of unusually high mobile phone usage patterns.

Stephen Timms: This is a contractual matter between the mobile network operating companies and their customers. The Department is aware that certain operators follow this procedure but it has no current plans to press all to introduce a standardised practice.

Mobile Phones

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research her Department has conducted on the number of mobile phone customers who receive bills for mobile phone charges incurred by thieves before the customers knew that their phone had been stolen.

Stephen Timms: None.

Mobile Phones

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received from consumer bodies about mobile phone fraud arising when SIM cards are stolen after consumers have ceased using a SIM card but not cancelled the contract for that SIM.

Stephen Timms: None.

Mobile Phones

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will require mobile phone operators to present charging structures in a standardised format, similar to the credit card industry's Honesty Box scheme.

Stephen Timms: The Department encourages clarity and transparency in billing arrangements, but has no plans at present to impose further requirements. I welcome steps taken by the mobile network operators to simplify their pricing structures for customers.

National Minimum Wage (Midlothian)

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people in Midlothian have benefited from the national minimum wage since its introduction.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Office for National Statistics' Low Pay data for spring 2003 only allows estimates to be made of the number of beneficiaries down to country and regional level within the UK. Using this data, the DTI estimates that between 100,000 and 120,000 people in Scotland should benefit from the increase in minimum wage rates in October 2003, the DTI estimates that between 1 and 1.2 million people should benefit in the UK as a whole.

Phishing

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what powers there are to impose penalties on people perpetrating phishing frauds in internet banking; and what the penalties are.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	The term "phishing" has recently been coined to refer to the practice of sending e-mails which falsely claim to originate from banks, asking customers to re-register or "re-activate" their accounts at a replica bank website, with the aim of using the information provided to transfer money out of these accounts.
	This is an offence (or attempted offence) of fraud and can be prosecuted under the Theft Acts 1968 and 1978 or under the common law of conspiracy to defraud. The maximum penalty for the main fraud offences (including attempts to commit them) is 10 years' imprisonment.

Post Office and Bank of Ireland

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what regulatory approvals are necessary for the Post Office partnership with the Bank of Ireland to provide financial services to proceed.

Stephen Timms: This is a matter between the two parties concerned. The joint venture will, of course, be subject to all appropriate company and other regulations including those governing the provision of financial services.

Post Office Closures

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reasons elements of management within the Post Office are given a financial incentive to close post offices; and what percentage of post offices within their individual remits they need to close to qualify.

Stephen Timms: I understand from Post Office Ltd that their Network Development Managers working on the urban reinvention programme are paid in the same way as all other managers in Post Office Ltd. Their pay arrangements include provision for a bonus based on a combination of overall business, financial and quality results and achievement of personal objectives. Their personal objectives are structures around identifying and preparing robust network reinvention proposals for presentation to Postwatch to achieve sustainable restructuring of services in local areas, and are linked to the success in migrating customers from any branch which closes as a result to other branches in the network. There is no incentive linked to actual branch closure.

Post Office Robberies

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post office robberies occurred in each of the last three years.

Stephen Timms: These are matters that fall within the day-to-day responsibility of Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Postal Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on promoting the use of post offices; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The promotion of post offices is a matter for Post Office Ltd. The business plan of Post Office Ltd. reflects the commitment to attract new customers for banking at the Post Office, and to develop new business in financial services. I understand that Post Office Ltd. is providing information to customers and guidance to sub-postmasters on the range of services available at post offices. The Department for Work and Pensions is also supplying information about the payment options available to their benefit and pension customers, including those options which provide post office access.

Quality Mark Scheme

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the survey on raising standards commissioned by the Quality Mark Scheme in July; and if she will use the survey to inform her review of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Quality Mark Scheme, announced 26 March 2002, was initially rolled out as a pilot 26 June 2002. It is expected the scheme will be tested over a three to four year period and as such no survey was conducted in July.
	The Government have no plans at present to introduce an independent Quality Mark Scheme for the consumer credit market.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what statutory investigatory powers the Department has; which ones will be superseded by use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and what plans she has for removing these legacy powers.

Jacqui Smith: The Department has wide investigatory powers, principally under the following legislation:
	Part 14 of the Companies Act 1985 (used to investigate the affairs of companies and related matters);
	Part 11 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (used to investigate financial services matters such as insider dealing);
	the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 (used to enforce against the criminal offences of unlicensed use of radio, deliberate interference, hoax calls and the sale, advertising or possession of certain restricted radio apparatus);
	the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (used in criminal investigations conducted by the Department to gain access to 'special procedure' material under a court order).
	However, these powers will henceforth be subject to the approved RIPA regime.
	The Department is a relevant public authority for the purposes of Part 2 (surveillance and covert human intelligence sources) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) and is intended also to become a designated public authority for the purposes of Chapter 2 of Part 1 (acquisition and disclosure of communications data). RIPA does not amend or replace any of the Department's statutory investigatory powers. However, the Department's existing powers to compel production of information will not be used to compel disclosure of communications data by service providers when (subject to Parliament's approval) Chapter 2 of Part 1 of RIPA is fully in force.
	The Department's Radiocommunications Agency ['RA'], has investigatory powers under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 and related legislation. However, responsibility for management of civil radio spectrum use will pass to OFCOM on 29th December 2003 under the Communications Act 2003. The position with regard to the exercise of RA's powers is currently the same as the Department's.

Renewable Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the additional £98 million funding for renewable energy capital grant programme to 2006 is being allocated to (a) offshore wind, (b) solar PV and (c) biomass.

Stephen Timms: A little under 50 per cent. of this funding has been committed to Round 1 offshore wind projects, reflecting the importance of offshore wind to meeting the Government's 2010 renewable energy target. It is intended that decisions on the allocation of the remaining funding will be taken in the first half of 2004.

Renewable Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much capital grant funding she will make available for large scale solar PV projects in (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05.

Stephen Timms: The notional budget for Stream 2 (medium and large-scale projects) is £12 million over the first phase of the Major PV Demonstration Programme. So far, around £9 million has been allocated over five rounds, and we plan to run three further rounds in 2003–04. This will require some over-committing of funds in the expectation that a certain proportion of projects will not go ahead. Any extra funding allocation for 2004–05 will have to await the outcome of the Renewables Innovation Review around the turn of the year.

Renewable Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much private sector investment there has been in UK based solar PV manufacturing since the start of her Department's major demonstration programme phase one.

Stephen Timms: We do not have precise figures for this, but the recent announcements by Romag, Marley, BP Solar and Sharp lead us to believe that a significant UK manufacturing base is beginning to develop in response to the first phase of the Major Photovoltaic Demonstration Programme.

Renewable Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new installers were registered under her Department's solar PV major demonstration programme in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003.

Stephen Timms: Before the start of the Major Photovoltaics Demonstration Programme in April 2002, it is estimated that there were less than a dozen companies in the UK capable of doing PV installations. In 2002–03 the programme had 16 fully accredited and 13 provisionally accredited installers. In the first half of 2003–04 there was one further fully accredited and four more provisionally accredited installers, taking the total to 35 different installers.

Renewable Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many jobs have been created in the UK solar PV industry since the start of the major demonstration programme phase one.

Stephen Timms: We do not have precise figures for this, but the number of new installers and increases in staffing in existing design/installation companies, as well as the recent announcements by Romag and Sharp, lead us to believe that several hundred new jobs will have been created by March 2004.

Renewable Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria her Department will use to assess the success of the solar PV major demonstration programme phase one.

Stephen Timms: A range of criteria will be used to assess the success of the First Phase of the Major PV Demonstration Programme, including:
	Raising awareness of PV in the UK
	Achieving the target number of installations and installed capacity
	Reduction in the cost of PV systems
	Development of an installer base
	Development of a UK PV industry
	Overall value for money of the programme

Renewable Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the totally installed capacity is of Solar PV in the United Kingdom.

Stephen Timms: At the end of 2002 the estimated total installed capacity in the UK was 4.14MWp. By the end of 2003 we expect this to have risen by at least 50 per cent.

Vanco v. BT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the implications of the case of Vanco v BT; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: This is a matter for the Director General of Telecommunications, whose decision was published on 10 February 2003. I welcome the rapid and decisive action taken following the Director General's investigation.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan/Iraq

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) the number and (b) the value of Urgent Operational Requirements for Operation Fingal and for Operation Telic 1, showing (i) in which financial year the costs of UORs fall, (ii) how much has been funded from reserves, and (iii) how much has been or will eventually be funded from within the Ministry of Defence's existing budgets instead of from a permanent transfer from the contingency reserve.

Adam Ingram: Information on Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs) for Operation Fingal is not held separately from those for overall operations in Afghanistan under Operation Veritas. A total of 113 UORs were agreed for these operations at an approved cost of £155 million, split between financial years 2001–02 and 2002–03. UORs for these operations were funded from the Reserve, under a special arrangement agreed with the Treasury.
	Over 190 UOR measures were agreed for Operation Telic 1, at an approved cost of some £510 million falling in financial years 2002–03 and 2003–04. All these UORs are again funded from the Reserve, as agreed with the Treasury, as part of the overall additional costs of Operation Telic. A number of Operation Telic UORs have brought forward planned expenditure already contained within the forward equipment programme. Where that provision is no longer needed, we expect to reimburse the Treasury for an appropriate amount. A precise figure has yet to be established, but the key point is that the defence budget is neither penalised nor gains windfall benefits as a result of pulling forward expenditure in this way.
	Where equipment bought through the UOR process is retained after an operation has completed, appropriate provision needs to be made for downstream support costs. Such decisions on whether or not to keep UORs in service are considered in the normal Departmental planning round alongside other potential equipment enhancements.

Army (Non-UK Citizens)

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by country of origin, the numbers of non-UK citizens who have joined the Army in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Ivor Caplin: For the last five financial years the intake of Regular Army personnel with a nationality recorded as being other than United Kingdom was as follows:
	
		
			 Nationality 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 American — 0 0 — 0 
			 Antiguan 0 0 — — 0 
			 Australian 20 10 20 10 15 
			 Austrian 0 — 0 0 0 
			 Bangalee — 0 0 — — 
			 Barbadian — 0 — — — 
			 Belizean 0 — — 0 — 
			 Bermudian — 0 0 0 0 
			 Botswana 0 0 0 0 — 
			 British Commonwealth Foreign 10 — — — — 
			 Cameroon 0 0 0 — — 
			 Canadian 20 15 10 10 5 
			 Cameroon 0 0 0 — — 
			 Dominican 0 0 — — — 
			 Falkland Islander 0 — 0 0 0 
			 Fijian 20 320 265 490 470 
			 Foreign/Foreign 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Gambian — — — 10 20 
			 German-West 0 0 — 0 0 
			 Ghanaian — 0 15 80 150 
			 Gibraltarian 0 — — 0 0 
			 Grenadian 0 — 5 10 15 
			 Guyanese 0 — — 0 5 
			 Indian — — — 5 10 
			 Italian — 0 0 0 0 
			 Jamaican 10 10 45 180 420 
			 Kenyan — — 10 10 15 
			 Malawi 0 — 0 — 20 
			 Malaysian — 0 — — — 
			 Maltese 5 — — 0 — 
			 Mauritanian 0 — 0 0 0 
			 Mauritian 0 0 — — 5 
			 Monserrat Islander 0 — — 0 0 
			 Namibian (FMLY SW African) 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Nepalese 0 0 0 — 0 
			 New Zealander 10 5 15 10 15 
			 Nigerian 0 0 5 10 20 
			 Pakistani 0 — — — — 
			 Republic of Ireland 30 25 30 10 20 
			 Rhodesian 0 0 0 — 0 
			 Seychellois 0 0 0 — — 
			 Sierra Leone — — — — 5 
			 Singaporean 0 0 0 — 0 
			 South African 30 45 65 120 155 
			 Spanish — 0 0 0 0 
			 Sri Lankan — — — — — 
			 St. Helenian 10 10 10 0 10 
			 St. Lucia 0 — — 15 205 
			 St. Vincent 0 0 185 5 120 
			 Sudanese 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Swazi 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Swiss 0 0 0 — — 
			 Tanzanian 0 0 0 — — 
			 Tongan — 0 0 — — 
			 Trinidadian — — 10 15 25 
			 Ugandan 0 0 — — 10 
			 Zambian — 0 — — — 
			 Zimbabwean 20 20 35 125 235 
			 Not known/stateless 10 5 — — — 
			 Total 205 505 770 1,140 2,010 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Totals are trained and untrained officer and other ranks joining the UK Regular Army in financial years 1998–2003 with a nationality (now) on intake of non-UK nationals.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest five to prevent disclosure of sensitive personal data.
	3. '—'denotes fewer than five.

Colombia

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will suspend military aid to Colombia until the Colombian Government takes action to comply with UN recommendations on human rights.

Adam Ingram: British military assistance to Colombia includes bomb disposal training and provision of British military education. It complements Colombian efforts to reduce the number of deaths, both civilian and military, from explosive devices, and introduces Colombian military personnel to British defence concepts in key areas such as Rules of Engagement and democratic and accountable control of the armed forces. In view of the clear humanitarian benefits this British military assistance offers to the Colombian people, we do not intend to suspend it.

D-Day

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what plans the Government have to celebrate the 60th anniversary of D-Day; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what funding has been allocated by the Government for the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of D-Day;
	(3)  what representations he has received from the (a) Normandy Veterans Association, (b) British Legion and (c) other bodies concerning the commemoration on the 60th anniversary of D-Day;
	(4)  how the Government will be represented at celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of D-Day in France.

Ivor Caplin: Details of the Government's position on the 60th anniversary of D-Day were outlined in my letter to all Members of the House of 7 July 2003 and updated in my reply to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 11 November, Official Report, columns 27–31WH. Further resources to those referred to as part of routine deployments may also be in attendance but it is too early to provide details at this stage. I announced on 17 September that arrangements had been made with P&O Ferries to offer subsidised tickets to veterans travelling to France in 2004. My hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Home Office (Beverley Hughes) announced on 4 June that one year free passports would be made available to eligible veterans travelling to France in 2004.
	Since the beginning of 2002 MOD officials have had two meetings with representatives of the Normandy Veterans Association (NVA). The Department has received ten letters from hon. Members and five direct from members of the public relating to the NVA. The Department also received 36 letters from hon. Members as a result of a letter sent by The Royal British Legion (TRBL) in June of this year to all hon. Members. There have also been one written and two oral parliamentary questions in the House of Lords, eight written parliamentary questions in the House of Commons, 39 letters from hon. Members and 39 letters direct from members of the public which did not specifically represent the NVA or TRBL.
	The Government intend to be properly represented at both ministerial and senior armed forces level at all major events next June and officials in the royal household will respond when the invitations have been received from the French Government.

Defence Estates (Pilning Range)

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the land owned by Defence Estates South West at Pilning Range will be subject to an open market bidding process when it is sold; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: Under the terms of the Joint Declaration of Intent between Ministry of Defence and English Nature the MOD will give advance warning to English Nature of any intended disposal of land wholly or partially notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). English Nature may then advise MOD on ways to secure wildlife opportunities and to nominate a suitable purchaser. This procedure has operated in the case of Pilning Range, and English Nature have nominated the Avon Wildlife Trust as a suitable purchaser. The balance of the site not purchased by the Wildlife Trust will be offered by open and public competition.

Defence Export Services

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations have been made to him from (a) other governments and (b) foreign non-governmental organisations on the Defence Services export international arms fair held in London.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has received letters and comments of thanks from many of the official overseas defence delegations that attended the Defence Systems and Equipment International exhibition.
	I am unaware of any representations from foreign non-governmental organisations.

Depleted Uranium

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has (a) initiated and (b) evaluated on the effects of depleted uranium on British (i) service personnel and (ii) civilians; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: We are currently initiating research to provide an understanding of the extent of any depleted uranium intake by United Kingdom ground forces during Operation TELIC.
	In accordance with the Biological Monitoring Policy for DU on Operations all regular and reservist service personnel and attached civilians who deployed on Operation TELIC are entitled to a urine test on their return if they wish. To provide a baseline for comparison we have asked the Institute of Occupation Medicine in Edinburgh to carry out a study to establish normative values for uranium and its isotopes in urine of a military population which did not deploy.
	The Ministry of Defence is currently placing contracts for the collection and analysis of urine samples for the voluntary screening programme for DU for veterans of the 1990–91 Gulf Conflict and service in the Balkans. In the event that DU is detected, any links between DU exposure and ill health will be investigated by means of an epidemiological study. A study to establish normative values for uranium and its isotopes in urine in a United Kingdom civilian population is also being commissioned.

Gulf War Syndrome

Paul Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent evidence he has collated relating to Gulf War Syndrome; what studies have been commissioned by him in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: holding answer 20 October 2003
	The Government's position remains as set out in my answers of 23 June 2003, Official Report, columns 687–89W. The fact that the Government does not recognise "Gulf War Syndrome" as a medical condition does not mean that veterans cannot claim war pensions: war pensions are paid on the basis of disability, not diagnosis.
	Full details of all the research studies related to Gulf veterans' illnesses which are being funded by the Government are available on the Internet at: www. mod.uk.issues/gulfwar/research.htm.
	A considerable amount of research into Gulf veterans' illnesses has been undertaken in the United States and its Department of Defense have also funded research in the United Kingdom. There is scientific evidence that some veterans of the 1990–91 Gulf conflict report a number of recognised medical conditions. However, the overwhelming consensus of the scientific and medical community is that there is insufficient evidence to enable this ill-health to be characterised as a unique illness, condition or 'syndrome'.

Inquiries

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list outstanding inquiries relating to operations in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 16 October 2003
	There are no outstanding boards of inquiry or Special Investigation Branch investigations relating to operations in Afghanistan.
	As at 31 October there were 35 boards of inquiry outstanding from operations in Iraq. Boards of inquiry often require a year or more to complete to ensure that the incident in question can be properly considered and the correct conclusions drawn. There are 44 outstanding Special Investigation Branch investigations relating to operations in Iraq, some of which are being conducted in support of the 35 boards of inquiry.
	Further details of the inquiries and investigations are being withheld under exemptions 1 and 12 of the Code of Practice on access to government information.

Iraq

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British wounded have been brought back from Iraq since United Kingdom military action began in March.

Adam Ingram: Since the beginning of the decisive combat operations in Iraq on 19 March 2003 and as at 14 November 2003, 145 United Kingdom military personnel have been wounded in action, of whom 74 needed to be brought back to the UK for medical treatment.

Iraq

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the success of measures taken to avoid using cluster munitions near civilian areas in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: We made every effort to minimise the impact on the Iraqi population of the coalition's military action. Cluster munitions were employed against Iraqi armoured formations in the open and on the periphery of built up areas.

Iraq

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received of former regime arms dumps within the British area of responsibility in Iraq; and what measures are being put in place to guard former regime arms dumps within the British area of responsibility.

Adam Ingram: Since the end of major combat operations United Kingdom forces have discovered an average of about 45 new sites containing arms and/or munitions each week. The large amount of arms present in Iraq means that where arms are discovered we cannot always tell whether they were left by the former regime or by other organisations or individuals. All sites containing arms or munitions are marked and then cleared once resources permit. Sites containing large numbers of arms are guarded by UK forces until they can be cleared.

Iraq

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the level of priority given to (a) avoiding civilian casualties and (b) ensuring the security of British troops in respect of unexploded ordnance clearance in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: The provision of a safe, secure and risk free environment for the Iraqi people is a key aspect of reconstruction activity for all members of the International Coalition in Iraq. The United Kingdom takes seriously its obligations as a member of that coalition to deal with unexploded ordnance.
	We afford a high priority to avoiding any injury or casualty from unexploded ordnance. Clearance operations are performed by specialists to minimise the chances of accidents occurring.

Iraq

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) gun and (b) bomb attacks there were on British troops in the provinces of (i) Basra City and (c) Maysan, broken down by type of incident and weapons used since 1 May, indicating in each case how many (A) British troops and (B) Iraqi civilians were (1) killed and (2) injured in each incident; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 10 November 2003
	Many of the following figures have been compiled under operational conditions and may therefore be subject to future refinement and revision. Figures were not collected before 1 June.
	Between 1 June and 17 October 2003 (the date of the last update) there were 108 deliberate attacks on coalition forces in the United Kingdom led Multi-National Division South East MND(SE) area of operations.
	In the same period there were 101 contact incidents (in which coalition forces have been caught up in tribal feuding or attempted crimes but were not the object of the attack) in Basrah Province and 23 contact incidents in Maysan Province. 88 of these contact incidents involved British Forces.
	Five incidents (including one outside the MND(SE) area) resulted in the deaths of British personnel as follows:
	
		
			 Date Casualties Nature of incident Firearmsor Bomb 
		
		
			 24 June 6 Killed Ambush of Royal Military Police patrol in Al Majir Al Kabir. Firearms 
			 14 August 1 Killed Roadside improvised explosive, device detonated as military ambulance drove by. Basrah. Bomb 
			 23 August 3 Killed Ambush of RMP in Basrah. Firearms 
			 27 August 1 Killed Ambush in Basrah. Firearms 
			 31 October 1 Killed Ambush in Baghdad. Firearms 
		
	
	23 British soldiers have been injured in these attacks, 10 with gunshot wounds and 13 with other types of injury.
	We have no reliable figures on Iraqi casualties as collection is virtually impossible: enemy forces frequently remove their casualties from the scene or seek to blame the coalition for casualties they could not possibly have caused. Of those incidents notified to British forces there are currently 22 Special Investigation Branch Investigations involving 17 deaths of and a number of injuries to Iraqis allegedly caused by British personnel.

Iraq

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Iraqis are being interned by the British forces because they are perceived to be a threat to coalition forces; how long each such person has been held; what plans the British authorities in Basra have for such people; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 10 November 2003
	As at 13 November, there were 125 Iraqis being interned by the British Forces because they were considered to be a threat to Coalition Forces. The maximum length of time that any person has been held is just under six months; the least one week. Every 28 days, a review is conducted to determine whether continued internment is necessary. Procedures are in place to allow internees to appeal against their continued internment. Individuals will continue to be held until such time as they are no longer considered a threat to Coalition Forces.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what means UK forces in Iraq have sought to confirm whether civilian fatalities have occurred during incidents involving the use of firearms and other lethal force by UK military personnel since the end of the conflict.

Adam Ingram: UK forces in Iraq seek to confirm whether civilian fatalities have occurred during incidents involving the use of firearms and other lethal force by UN military personnel since the end of the conflict by the use of appropriate policing techniques as the operational situation allows.

Iraq

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the security situation in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: Iraq continues to make progress and is broadly stable. The majority of incidents occur around Baghdad. Throughout the country increasing numbers of Iraqi police are on patrol, reconstruction of essential services and infrastructure continues and most of the population go about their daily lives without hindrance.
	Attacks such as that on the Italian headquarters in Nasiriyah are the work of a violent few. Innocent Iraqi civilians have died in these attacks: they are as much victims of the terrorists as coalition forces.
	Coalition forces and the Iraqi police are working hard to provide a safe and secure environment. They will not be deflected from that mission.

Iraq

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are being taken to fit British military vehicles in Iraq with vehicle protection kits.

Adam Ingram: Following public disorder events in Iraq during August, a requirement was identified to fit Vehicle Protection Kits (VPK) to a range of Combat Support Vehicles. Delivery to theatre began in mid August and should be completed by the end of February 2004.
	In addition, the requirement to equip battlefield engineering and plant vehicles deployed to Iraq with VPKs is currently being assessed.

Iraq

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average cost is per day, per person, of the food provided to British security personnel in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence identifies the costs of Operations in terms of the net additional costs it has incurred. The costs, which the MOD would have incurred had the operation not been undertaken—expenditure on wages and salaries or on conducting training exercises for example—are deducted from the total costs of the operation.
	The cost of food is not identified separately, but is contained within stock consumption, along with ammunition, clothing and vehicle and equipment spares for example. Costs are not incurred on a regular daily basis and force levels have fluctuated considerably. As a result, to attempt to provide monthly average costs would be misleading.

Iraq

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rotation schedule is expected for troops in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: The majority of United Kingdom military units deployed to Iraq undertake tours of either four or six months depending on the role they perform. This can be varied according to operational requirements. There is also some variation in cases of individual personnel who may be required to deploy for longer or short periods.

ITAR Waiver

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has held with his counterpart in the US Administration about the stance taken by (a) the Senate and (b) the House of Representatives to the US Administration's proposals for an ITAR waiver for the UK.

Geoff Hoon: I have had discussions with and written to the US Defense Secretary about the progress through Congress of legislation to allow for a waiver for the United Kingdom from the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and emphasised the importance the UK attaches to the successful implementation of a waiver.

King's Own Scottish Borderers

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the King's Own Scottish Borderers are due to finish their deployment in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Kings Own Scottish Borderers began returning to the United Kingdom in mid-October and all had returned by the end of the month.

Operation Telic

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 1 September 2003, Official Report, column 915W, and the answer to the hon. Member for Portsmouth South (Mr. Hancock) of 15 September 2003, Official Report, column 509W, on Operation Telic, when he expects investigations into the fratricide incidents involving United Kingdom forces during Operation Telic to be complete; whether the families of the United Kingdom personnel involved are being advised of developments; and when the outcome of these inquiries will be made public.

Adam Ingram: Investigations into incidents of fratricide involving UK forces will take as long as necessary to uncover and accurately assess and interpret all the possible evidence.
	The families of those involved will be kept informed as matters develop. All will have access to a specialist staff officer from the relevant service.
	As I informed the House on 15 September 2003, Official Report, column 509W, we will make a summary of the reports' conclusions available, but only after all related proceedings are entirely complete. To do otherwise would be to risk prejudicing those other proceedings.

Parliamentary Questions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 20 October 2003, Official Report, column 375W, on parliamentary questions, how many questions tabled to his Department by the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South have not been answered within the target times set by the Department.

Ivor Caplin: Up to 22 October, 196 written questions had been received during this session. 67 (34 per cent.) were not answered within the target of five sitting days.

Saudi Arabia

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims for payment by the Saudi Government have been endorsed by staff of his Department's Director General of the Saudi Armed Forces Project since the Al Yamamah programme began; what the total value of these claims is; and what each of the claims endorsed since 1997 have been in respect of.

Adam Ingram: Details of the number of claims are not normally recorded and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The total number will run into tens of thousands. Details of individual claims since 1997 could only be provided at disproportionate cost. All claims cover goods and services supplied by the Prime Contractor to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff of his Department's Director General of the Saudi Armed Forces Project are based in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Saudi Arabia; and what proportion of their salaries is met by (i) his Department and (ii) BAE Systems.

Adam Ingram: Under the Department's Director General of the Saudi Armed Forces Project there are currently 111 staff directly employed in the United Kingdom and 65 staff in Saudi Arabia. The UK MOD receives a management fee from the Saudi Arabian Government for its management of the programme. All costs of the team, including salaries, are met from this fee.

Saudi Arabia

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what conditions relating to (a) security sector reform and (b) human rights are included in the contracts governing the Al Yamamah programme; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: There are none. The Saudi authorities are well aware of the importance we attach to the full respect of human rights.

Technology Transfer Contracts

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) technology transfer contracts from his Department to Scottish companies and (b) technology transfer contracts per Scottish company, including the values, there were in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: I assume the hon. Member refers to my reply to him of 4 November 2003, Official Report, column 613W concerning Defence Diversification Agency (DDA) operations in Scotland. Contracts are only one measure of technology transfer. The DDA, which acts as a broker, assists companies in various ways including putting them in touch with defence scientists and programme managers. Contracts between the two parties may result and the DDA is currently aware of 16 technology transfer contracts with organisations based in Scotland since 1999. Individual details and financial value of these contracts are subject to confidentiality agreements and are withheld under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Territorial Army

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to help recruit doctors into the Territorial Army.

Ivor Caplin: The recruitment of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals is currently the Territorial Army's (TA) highest recruitment priority and additional funding is being made available in support of this goal.
	Steps being taken to aid recruitment include twice yearly visits by recruitment teams to selected NHS Trusts; attendance by the TA Medical Services at some 25 professional conferences/exhibitions; media advertising with a focused television campaign planned for transmission in early 2004. Work is also in place to ensure greater synergy between recruitment campaigns for the TA and Regular Army.
	The recruitment of health care professionals into the TA Medical Services is supported by the Department of Health as part of the Improving Working Lives Initiative.

Terrorist Attacks

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps United Kingdom forces are taking to protect British citizens from terrorist attacks in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq.

Adam Ingram: United Kingdom Forces constantly review security arrangements for those British citizens under their care. For reasons of operational security it would be inappropriate to provide details of the measures in place and I am withholding that information under Exemption 1 (Defence, Security and International Relations) of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Unexploded Ordnance

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many children in Iraq have taken part in the Theatre Mine Risk education programme.

Adam Ingram: Educating children in Iraq about the dangers of unexploded ordnance is currently the responsibility of four de-mining Non-Governmental Organisations operating in Iraq whose work is co-ordinated by the UN Mine Action Co-ordination Team. We do not hold data on how many children have taken part in their programmes.

Work-related Stress

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend the Member for Kirkcaldy's (Dr. Moonie) letter of 27 March 2002 (reference: D/US of S/LM PQ 2584M) a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The position has not changed since that reply. I am able however to update the hon. Member concerning compensation cases and costs. The most recent figures are as follows:
	
		
			 Sector Number of claims received in year Settlements—compensation/legal fees paid in year (£) 
		
		
			 Service   
			 2000–01 2 0 
			 2001–02 3 0 
			 2002–03 0 21,200 
			 Civilian   
			 2000–01 17 87,315 
			 2001–02 25 6,015 
			 2002–03 10 61,248 
		
	
	Compensation/legal fees paid in year do not necessarily relate to the number of claims received in the same year.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Indonesia

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department has offered the Government of Indonesia for the reconstruction of Sumatra Island.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The UK has not been approached specifically to assist reconstruction in Sumatra. DFID is however working continuously with the international community and local and international NGOs to alleviate poverty in Indonesia and improve the lives of poor people. Such assistance is targeted where it is most needed. Should the need for further international assistance for Sumatra be demonstrated, we will work through our partners to ensure this is provided.

Palestine

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial aid the Occupied Palestinian Territories received from his Department in each of the last five years; and what provision his Department has made for aid to the Occupied Palestinan Territories in each of the next four years.

Hilary Benn: Bilateral financial aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including support to UNRWA, over the last five years was as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1998–99 8.5 
			 1999–2000 21 
			 2000–01 28 
			 2001–02 39.5 
			 2002–03 34 
		
	
	This financial year we plan to spend about £40.2 million.
	In addition DFID provided, from 1998 to 2002, a total of approximately £132 million through the European Commission, and since 1994 to June this year approximately £12 million through the World Bank.
	The department has made the following provisions for aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories and UNRWA: 2004–05, £26.5 million and 2005–06, £26.5 million. We do not currently have planning figures beyond 2005–06. Our support through the EC and the World Bank will continue during this period.

Sub-Saharan Africa

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what the proportion of people living in poverty in sub-Saharan Africa was in each year since 1992;
	(2)  what proportion of people lived in poverty in (a) East Asia and (b) the Pacific in each of the last 10 years;
	(3)  what proportion of people lived in poverty in South Asia in each of the last 10 years.

Hilary Benn: The most recent estimates of the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day in 1990 and 2000 for East Asia and the Pacific, Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia are contained in the World Bank's 'Global Economic Prospects 2004'. Details are as follows:
	
		Percentage
		
			  1990 2000 
		
		
			 East Asia and Pacific 29.4 14.5 
			 Sub Saharan Africa 47.4 49.0 
			 South Asia 41.5 31.9 
		
	
	Information for intervening years is not available on a comparable basis.

Weapons Stocks

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial assistance the United Kingdom provides to governments in developing countries to reduce their weapons stocks; and what financial support is given to prevent the sale of military surpluses.

Hilary Benn: The UK Government fully supports the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) which commits governments including those of developing countries to dispose of small arms stocks, preferably by destruction, that are surplus to national requirements.
	The UK Government is helping developing countries manage and reduce weapons stockpiles through its Global Conflict Prevention Pool SALW strategy. The UK is providing £7.5 million over three years to the Small Arms Destruction Unit (SADU) of UNDP's Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Recovery for weapons collection, management and destruction work in forty-five developing countries. Since the start of the programme in 2001 SADU have destroyed over 360,000 weapons and in excess of 24 million items of ammunition.
	The UK Government is also providing £1.9 million for the development of 5-year National Action Plans in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique and Namibia. These Plans will provide a comprehensive approach to weapons controls in these countries, and will include disarmament, destruction and weapons management elements. Two NGOs, Saferworld and SaferAfrica, are undertaking this work with the governments of these countries.
	The UK seeks to address the problem comprehensively, rather than by earmarking funds to prevent any potential sales of military surpluses.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

Mark Oaten: To ask the Solicitor-General how many staff were employed by the Crown Prosecution Service as (a) Grades 1–6, (b) legal assistance, (c) executive officers and (d) administrative officers; and how many in each category were (i) black and (ii) Asian.

Harriet Harman: The number of staff employed by the Crown Prosecution Service in each category who have identified their ethnicity as being (i) black and (ii) Asian is summarised in the table:
	
		Percentage
		
			  Asian Black 
			  2001 2002 2003 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Administrative Officers 5.9 5.6 6.4 5.6 5.3 5.5 
			 Executive Officers 3.6 3.9 4.8 4.1 4.3 5.5 
			 Legal Assistance 3.6 5.0 5.1 2.6 3.5 3.8 
			 Grades 1–6 2.1 2.3 3.0 1.6 0.0 1.2 
			 Grand Total 4.4 4.8 5.4 4.1 4.3 4.9 
		
	
	The percentages are based on the number of staff who replied to the question asking them to state their ethnicity.

Crown Prosecution Service

Mark Oaten: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make it the policy of the Crown Prosecution Service to pay fees to their legal advisers within 30 days.

Harriet Harman: I can confirm that it is the Crown Prosecution Service's policy to pay invoices from all suppliers and service providers, including independent barristers, within 30 days of receipt of a valid claim or invoice.
	Published data from the CPS Annual Report shows that in 2002–03, 81 per cent. of undisputed invoices were paid within 30 days of receipt.

Solicitors/Barristers

Mark Oaten: To ask the Solicitor-General how many (a) solicitors and (b) barristers there are in England and Wales; and how many are (i) black and (ii) Asian.

Harriet Harman: The Solicitor-General does not have ministerial responsibility for the Law Society or The General Council of the Bar, who are the professional bodies regulating solicitors and barristers, respectively.
	Statistics in relation to the profession may be obtained directly from the professional bodies.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Alcohol Licences

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the impact proposed increases in the cost of alcohol licences will have on (a) community clubs and (b) sports associations.

Estelle Morris: The proposed levels of fees for club premises certificates and premises licences under the Licensing Act 2003 will lead to an increase in licensing fees for some community clubs and sports associations operating either as qualifying clubs under club premises certificates or under premises licences though many will also see a reduction in fees.
	Any increases will arise because fees have been estimated on the basis of the actual costs to the licensing authority. Current fees are not set on a full cost recovery basis by the magistrates' courts. This change has been made because we do not consider it appropriate for the taxpayer to subsidise the consumption of alcohol in sports clubs or any other premises.
	Any increase in fees should not, however, have a significant impact on any of these clubs or associations. Small clubs are likely to pay around £100 in the first year of the new licensing regime and £50 in subsequent years. This means that, for example, for a club with 25 members, the minimum needed to qualify as a qualifying club, a club premises certificate would cost about £4 per member in the first year and £2 per member in subsequent years.

Aviation White Paper

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations her Department has made to the Department for Transport on the Aviation White Paper.

Estelle Morris: This Department has made a number of representations to the Department of Transport on a range of issues, including heritage and tourism, throughout the development of the Aviation White Paper.

Childhood Obesity

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research she has commissioned into the effect of food advertising on levels of childhood obesity.

Estelle Morris: None. However, the Food Standards Agency has recently published a research review which it commissioned on this subject and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is taking part in their consultations as well as other cross-Government initiatives to tackle obesity, notably the work of the Activity Co-ordination Team, aimed at increasing levels of physical activity.

Childhood Obesity

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received about (a) childhood obesity and (b) lack of access to sports facilities.

Estelle Morris: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly receives representations from hon. Members, and members of the public, on these subjects. This reflects the extent of public concern about growing rates of obesity among children, and of interest in community sport and activity facilities.
	The Government fully shares both that concern, and that interest. The UK is now the most obese nation in Europe. Sedentary lifestyles—especially among young people—have greatly contributed to that. The Government are already investing substantial amounts in schools and community sports facilities. In schools, the New Opportunities Fund is investing £581 million in school sports facilities in England, and Space for Sport and the Arts is putting £130 million into primary school facilities. In communities, NOF is investing £256 million in healthy living centre projects, and £108.5 million in new community sports facilities. The Government are also investing £459 million in the PE, School Sport and Club Links Project, which aims to increase the proportion of schoolchildren receiving at least two hours a week of high quality PE and school sport to 75 per cent. by 2006.
	The cross-Departmental Activity Co-ordination Team will produce a national strategy for physical activity next year.

Childhood Obesity

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with other departments about implementing a strategy to tackle childhood obesity.

Estelle Morris: Nine Government Departments are represented on the Activity Co-ordination Team (ACT) which was set up and is led jointly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department of Health (DH) to tackle the increase in obesity rates and physical inactivity.
	The group has met twice since 8 July 2003 and is due to meet again on 27 November 2003 under the chairmanship of my right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport and Tourism and my hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health.

Community Fund (Cheltenham)

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many grants have been made from the Community Fund to projects in the Cheltenham constituency since its inception.

Estelle Morris: Since its inception, the Community Fund has made 62 grants, to a value of £2.68 million, to projects in the constituency of Cheltenham.
	This information is derived from the Department's Awards Database and is based on information supplied by the distributing bodies.

National Lottery

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Lottery funding per capita has been awarded to (a) organisations in each of the regions in England and Wales and (b) organisations in the Vale of York in each of the past three years.

Estelle Morris: The following table shows how much Lottery funding per capita has been awarded to organisations in the Vale of York and each of the regions of England and Wales in each of the past three years.
	
		
			 Period covered/Region £ person 
		
		
			 January 2003 to 13 November 2003  
			 East Midlands 10.38 
			 Eastern 7.05 
			 London 16.40 
			 North East 14.18 
			 North West 14.86 
			 South East 7.95 
			 South West 10.00 
			 West Midlands 11.90 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 13.94 
			 Wales 14.33 
			 Vale of York 7.51 
			 2002  
			 East Midlands 16.60 
			 Eastern 12.78 
			 London 21.76 
			 North East 23.66 
			 North West 17.37 
			 South East 10.96 
			 South West 15.30 
			 West Midlands 13.54 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 25.24 
			 Wales 29.11 
			 Vale of York 12.41 
			   
			 2001  
			 East Midlands 20.52 
			 Eastern 13.80 
			 London 24.35 
			 North East 23.48 
			 North West 17.12 
			 South East 13.10 
			 South West 16.51 
			 West Midlands 14.37 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 23.95 
			 Wales 26.15 
			 Vale of York 19.00 
			   
			 2000  
			 East Midlands 13.62 
			 Eastern 9.97 
			 London 18.45 
			 North East 18.23 
			 North West 32.62 
			 South East 13.62 
			 South West 14.44 
			 West Midlands 13.38 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 11.50 
			 Wales 20.64 
			 Vale of York 7.47 
		
	
	This table is derived from the Department's Awards Database and is based on information supplied by the distributing bodies.

National Lottery

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many National Lottery ticket sales there were in the (a) GL50, (b) GL51, (c) GL52 and (d) GL53 postcode areas in each of the last 10 years; and how much was raised in each case.

Estelle Morris: The available information about National Lottery sales by postcode area is set out in the table placed in the Library, in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Morley and Rothwell (Mr. Challen) on 22 October 2002, Official Report, columns 182–83W. I will provide an update of the table to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, and place a copy in the Libraries of both Houses.

Market Research

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list each item of market and opinion research commissioned since May 1997 by (a) her Department and (b) agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which her Department is responsible; what the purpose of each item was; and whether the results were published.

Estelle Morris: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) The following table lists those items of market and opinion research undertaken by the Department.
	
		
			 Name Year Purpose Published 
		
		
			 Culture Online (Omnibus of Market and Opinion Research) 2000–01 To establish the current usage of Arts and Culture websites and what new services would be values by different groups of users Yes. Culture Online Website 
			 Olympic Games Poll (Opinion) 2002 To explore public attitudes in London and across the country towards bidding for the Olympics to come to London in 2012 with a view to obtaining a picture of the public's settled view on a London 2012 Games Yes. Government response to "A London Olympic Bid for 2012" also on DCMS website 
			 Digital Television 2002 (Opinion) 2002 Obtain the opinion of consumer attitudes towards digital television and impact of digital television for people with disabilities Yes. DCMS website 
			 Sports Coaching in the UK (Market) 2003 To provide a detailed and accurate picture of sports coaching in the UK No. Work is ongoing 
		
	
	(b) This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Secondments

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people from science and technology backgrounds have been seconded into the Civil Service in her Department in each of the last five years for which data are available.

Estelle Morris: This Department does not maintain a central record of the background of secondees: secondees remain employees of their seconding organisation, which holds records on their previous employment or educational background. This information could therefore only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Television Advertising

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the revenue received by each of the commercial television channels from selling advertising airtime slots for food and drink products in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the percentage of revenue gained from selling advertising airtime during children's television scheduling which was used to (a) buy in and (b) make children's television programmes by each of the commercial television channels in each of the last five years;
	(3)  what information her Department collates on the revenue spent by commercial television companies to (a) buy in and (b) commission children's television programmes.

Estelle Morris: The Department has not collated or made estimates of such data. However, we understand from figures made available by ITV to the Independent Television Commission that the total programme budget for Children's ITV in 2002 was £37.5 million and the total value of the breaks for food and drink brands in Children's ITV aimed at children was £17.3 million.

Website

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of the content and design of her Department's website.

Estelle Morris: The Department's website was redesigned earlier this year, at which time a thorough assessment of both content and design was undertaken. Content is regularly reviewed and where appropriate, updated daily. The design has not been reviewed in the last 11 months, but will be revisited early in 2004.
	The website is currently being audited by the RNIB as part of a work programme to ensure information is accessible to people with visual impairment.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

First World War Battlefields

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he and (b) other Departments have had with the Government of Belgium to (i) preserve First World War battlefields which lie on the route of the A11 motorway and (ii) secure the appropriate treatment of British Servicemen's remains.

Ivor Caplin: Neither the Ministry of Defence, nor the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, has had any discussions on this subject with the Belgian Government. However, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission continues to monitor the effects of the A19 extension scheme. We fully expect the Belgian Government to adhere to existing procedures for dealing with the remains of British Servicemen discovered during the course of the extension of the A19 motorway. This would entail the eventual interment of remains in a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in Belgium.

Colombia

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Ayr (Sandra Osborne) of 30 June 2003, Official Report, column 64W, what reports he has received of what was said by President Uribe of Colombia in his meeting with NGOs on 11 June; and what his assessment is of the significance of the President's comments.

Bill Rammell: We saw various press reports and received the views of the NGO community at the time of President Uribe's comments of 11 June. We do not believe it productive to enter into a public debate on these comments. It is more important to continue to underline the need for the Colombian Government to implement their commitments as set out in the London Declaration concerning respect for the rule of law, human rights and international humanitarian law when tackling the problems it faces. I made this point when I met the Colombian Foreign Minister in New York on 23 September 2003.

Colombia

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what practical help has been provided to the Colombian Government in accordance with commitments given at the London conference in July 2003.

Bill Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my noble Friend the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean gave to the noble Lord, the Lord Avebury in another place on 6 November 2003, Official Report, column WA137.

Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter of 20 August 2003 from the Member for Banff and Buchan to the hon. Member for North Warwickshire concerning animal welfare and trade liberalisation.

Mike O'Brien: I apologise for the delay in reply, which was due to an administrative error. The letter has now been transferred to my hon. Friend the Minister for Nature, Conservation and Fisheries (Mr. Bradshaw) on 5 November 2003, who will reply shortly. This should have happened before.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has made to investigate British companies named in the final report of the UN Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government take allegations against UK companies in any UN Panel's report seriously. If we are provided with sufficient evidence that a company has broken UK law, we will take action.
	Separately, the DTI, acting as National Contact Point (NCP) for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines, is aware of the Panel's report and potential cases arising from it. The role of the NCP is to facilitate a dialogue between the two parties with a view to resolving the issues raised. In this situation, however, the NCP cannot mediate between the parties as the Expert Panel has disbanded on the expiry of its mandate (31 October). The evidence that has been supplied to the NCP by the UN Panel, after several requests by HMG, is general in content and relates only to some of the named companies. DTI will therefore have difficulty progressing these cases, under the Guidelines, on the basis of what has been provided so far.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what independent mechanisms exist for the United Nations Panel on the Democratic Republic of the Congo to pursue its investigations into the exploitation of the Congo's natural resources; and what the policy of the Government is in relation to the establishment of such independent capability.

Jack Straw: The Expert Panel on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources in the DRC disbanded on the expiry of its mandate (31 October 2003). I am not aware of any other independent mechanisms that exist for the Panel to pursue its investigations.
	We have taken the allegations against UK companies in all of the UN Panel's reports very seriously. The report's proposals for preventing the re-occurrence of illegal exploitation are helpful. If we are provided with evidence that a company has broken UK law, we will take legal action. But this latest report fails to substantiate allegations made against UK companies in earlier reports. The evidence that has been supplied to the DTI, the National Contact Point for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines, is circumstantial and general in content. DTI is seeking clarification.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has received from British-based individuals and companies relating to the release of information about such companies and individuals by the UN Panel on the Democratic Republic of the Congo in its recent report; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The Department of Trade and Industry, acting as the National Contact Point (NCP) for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines on Multi National Enterprises (MNEs), has been approached by three companies named in the final UN Panel report. Details of these exchanges will remain confidential under the provisions of the Guidelines. We are still waiting for evidence to be supplied by the Panel on a number of UK companies named in the report. We will publish a statement on the report once all the evidence has been received by the NCP (DTI) and the necessary next steps have been taken.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the United Kingdom made to the UN in relation to United Kingdom-based individuals and companies mentioned in the report on the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The Department for Trade and Industry, acting as the National Contact Point (NCP) for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines on Multi National Enterprises (MNEs), contacted the UN Expert Panel on the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on three separate occasions, (between April and September 2003), to request information to substantiate allegations made against UK companies and individuals in its earlier reports. The UK Deputy Permanent representative to the UN in New York asked Ambassador Kassem, the chair of the Expert Panel, personally for further information on the named UK companies and individuals on 11 March 2003. An official from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office also wrote to Ambassador Kassem on 29 May with the same request. On 6 October 2003, an official from our High Commission in Nairobi contacted the political officer of the Panel to request the information. We continue to take every opportunity to seek to clarify the allegations made against UK companies and individuals.

Guantanamo Bay

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government are making on behalf of the welfare and human rights of the non-British detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

Denis MacShane: The focus of the Government's representations to the US authorities has been on how to resolve the position of the UK detainees held in Guantanamo Bay.
	Our hope, however, is that the issues raised will be reflected in the treatment of other countries' detainees.

Middle East

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 22 October 2003, Official Report, column 617W, on the Middle East, whether Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention is one of the pieces of international law with which he believes the actions of the Israeli Government to be inconsistent.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 10 November 2003
	The Government believe that the deportation by the state of Israel of persons against whom no charges have been laid may be inconsistent with the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention, including Article 147.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the US Administration's plans for new low yield nuclear weapons will comply with that country's obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Denis MacShane: The United States declared a continuing and firm commitment to its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meeting earlier this year. In a fact sheet circulated at the PrepCom, the United States further declared that it was not developing, testing or producing any nuclear warheads, that there was no current requirement for a new nuclear warhead, and that it maintained its moratorium on nuclear testing.

Nuclear Weapons

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals the UK will put forward to strengthen the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty at the preparatory conference, Twenty-First session, to be held from 10 to 14 November 2003.

Denis MacShane: The Twenty-First Session of the Preparatory Commission (Prepcom) of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which took place in Vienna from 10 to 14 November 2003, dealt primarily with the 2004 Budget for the Provisional Technical Secretariat. The CTBT has yet to enter into force and the Prepcom has no powers to strengthen the Treaty itself. The UK has always been at the forefront of efforts to maintain the build-up of the Treaty's International Monitoring System. We consider it a priority to ensure that the Treaty's verification requirements can be met at entry into force and will continue to provide appropriate assistance to promote this end.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what statutory investigatory powers the Department has; which ones will be superseded by use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and what plans he has for removing these legacy powers.

Jack Straw: My Department has no such investigatory powers.

President Bush (State Visit)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what basis it was decided to make the forthcoming visit of President Bush an official state visit.

Mike O'Brien: President and Mrs. Bush have been invited to visit Britain as guests of Her Majesty The Queen. This is an opportunity to celebrate the many dimensions of the UK's long-standing relationship with the United States, which includes strong cultural and economic ties and goes much wider than the political relationship. Each state visit is considered on an individual basis, underlining the relationship between the UK and the nation of the visiting Head of State. On this basis, it is appropriate for the visit to be a state visit.

PRIME MINISTER

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister how many applicants for a people's peerage since April 2002 were acquainted with a Commissioner of the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

Tony Blair: Between 1 April 2002 and 31 August 2003, House of Lords Appointments Commission members were acquainted with 13 out of the 94 people from whom the Commission received nominations.

House of Lords

David Drew: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of those peers created since 1997, with particular reference to people's peers.

Tony Blair: None. It is not for the Prime Minister to make an assessment of the effectiveness of members of the House of Lords.

House of Lords

David Drew: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the timetable for creating further people's peers.

Tony Blair: I have invited the House of Lords Appointments Commission to recommend a small number of non-party-political peers. I understand that the Commission is currently considering nominations and will make an announcement in due course.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister how many of those aspiring people's peers who were invited to interview but who were unsuccessful have indicated that they no longer wish their application to be reconsidered.

Tony Blair: One.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister how many aspiring people's peers who were invited to interview but were not subsequently recommended for elevation to the peerage requested feedback from the Commission as to why they were unsuccessful.

Tony Blair: None. The House of Lords Appointments Commission made clear in its information pack at the start of the process that it would not provide feedback on unsuccessful nominations.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister how many applications for a people's peerage have been received since April 2001 from hereditary peers who no longer have the right to sit in the House of Lords.

Tony Blair: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost and in breach of the House of Lords Appointments Commission's undertakings to treat all personal information in individual applications in strict confidence.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answers of 13 November 2003, Official Report, columns 429–30W, on the House of Lords, what initiatives the House of Lords Appointments Commission is planning to increase the number of applications from aspiring people's peers.

Tony Blair: The House of Lords Appointments Commission keeps its plans for attracting new nominations under review.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answers of 13 November 2003, Official Report, columns 429–30W, on the House of Lords, whether any of the applications received since April 2001 were from (a) knights or dames, (b) professors and (c) persons holding the OBE or CBE; and if he will list the employment categories of applicants in work.

Tony Blair: Yes. The Commission does not record figures because it is not pertinent to the Commission's consideration of nominations. The Commission does not ask applicants for information about their occupation or employment status as it does not wish to discourage people with outstanding achievements in areas unconnected with how they might earn their living.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answers of 13 November 2003, Official Report, columns 429–30W, on the House of Lords, if he will ask the House of Lords Appointments Commission to hold a meeting in Pendle to encourage people there to think about putting themselves forward as a people's peer.

Tony Blair: No. The House of Lords Appointments Commission is independent and it is for them to decide on their programme of meetings.

Microsoft (Licensing Fees)

Norman Lamb: To ask the Prime Minister how much was paid to Microsoft in licensing fees by the Prime Minister's Office in each of the last three years; and how much has been budgeted for (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) gave to him today.

President Bush (State Visit)

Richard Burden: To ask the Prime Minister if he will raise the issue of Israel's construction of the Security Wall with President Bush during his visit; and if he will report to the House the outcome of those discussions.

Tony Blair: I expect to cover a range of issues of common interest with President Bush. I have regular discussions with him on a wide range of international issues including the Middle East Peace Process.

President Bush (State Visit)

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister whether he intends to discuss with President Bush the subject of the United States ratifying the Kyoto Treaty during the President's forthcoming visit.

Tony Blair: I expect to cover a range of issues of common interest with President Bush. My regular discussions with him include energy policy and climate change. The government welcomes the US's recognition that climate change is a serious problem and the fact that it is taking domestic action.
	The UK is fully committed to the Kyoto Protocol, with its binding targets and timetables, which is designed to deliver absolute global emissions reductions.
	The UK will work with other governments to develop the technologies needed to reduce global emissions further in the longer term.

President Bush (State Visit)

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what the estimated total cost to public funds is of the forthcoming state visit of President Bush.

Tony Blair: The estimates have not yet been completed as the final details of the programme are still being agreed. We expect the costs falling to Grant-in-Aid to be in line with previous state visits. The policing costs are met by the Metropolitan Police.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Lettings (SE1)

Kate Hoey: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, how many dwellings in Mitre Road, Ufford Street and Webber Street, London SE1 have been let at open market rents since the Church Commissioners changed their lettings policy for this estate.

Stuart Bell: Since the change in the letting policy, the Commissioners have let 7 of these properties on the open market. A further 2 properties are at various stages of the letting process.
	Over the same period, there have also been 17 lettings on non-market tenancies on the same part of the estate either because of transfers or change of tenancy on succession.

VAT Group

Anne McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Brussels with the Church of England VAT Group to meet (a) UK Permanent Representation officials and (b) Commissioner Bolkestein.

Stuart Bell: The Church VAT Group was grateful for the chance to reiterate the case for a reduced rate of VAT for repairs and maintenance to listed places of worship during the recent visit to Brussels. The UK permanent representative office was very clear about the support of the UK Government for our case and their commitment to argue for it at every level up to the Council of Ministers.
	Commissioner Bolkestein received our presentation with much interest. Clearly, with negotiations still ongoing, involving discussion of the many different EU Member States' aspirations, he was not prepared to anticipate what the final outcome would be during his meeting with us.

NORTHERN IRELAND

All Ireland Sports Development Conference

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Irish Sports Council is contributing to the costs of the All Ireland Sports Development Conference on 20 and 21 November; and what the total cost to the Sports Council of Northern Ireland of the Conference is.

Angela Smith: The hosting of All Island Sports Development Conference is rotated every two years between the Sports Council for Northern Ireland and the Irish Sports Council. This year the Sports Council for Northern Ireland is hosting the event. The host council meets the direct costs of the event and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland will meet the direct running costs for the 2003 All-Island Sports Development Conference. These costs have been budgeted at £116,000.

Attacks on Medical Staff

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to provide greater funding to increase the personal security of medical staff.

Angela Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 November 2003, Official Report, column 375W.
	The Department is concerned about violent attacks against all staff working in the Health and Personal Social Services (HPSS) and regards such incidents as totally unacceptable. The Department has encouraged employers to review their risk assessments with a view to identifying and reducing the potential for violence against HPSS staff.
	In addition, the Department intends to mount a publicity campaign in the near future to make it abundantly clear that aggressive and violent behaviour against any HPSS personnel will not be tolerated. It is intended that this campaign will cover both staff who are employed directly by HSS Boards and Trusts and General Medical and Dental Practitioners, who are independent contractors working within the Health and Personal Social Services.

Average Pay

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average weekly gross pay in Northern Ireland for individuals was at the latest date for which figures are available.

Ian Pearson: Average gross weekly earnings of all full-time adult employees in Northern Ireland was £404.50 at April 2003.

Monitoring Commission

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the International Monitoring Commission has the authority to investigate the allegations of activities by the Provisional IRA and members of Sinn Fein in (a) Colombia and (b) Florida; and what sanctions it has power to recommend.

Paul Murphy: The Independent Monitoring Commission will decide what matters are relevant to the exercise of its functions, which are set out in the draft International Agreement published on 4 September. However, the Agreement makes clear that the focus of the Commission will be on continuing activity by paramilitary groups.
	In line with Article 7 of the draft International Agreement, the Commission's reports shall recommend any remedial action considered necessary. The Commission may also recommend what measures, if any, it considers might appropriately be taken by the Northern Ireland Assembly. Such measures are limited to those which the Northern Ireland Assembly has power to take under relevant United Kingdom legislation.

Planning Applications

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications to the Planning Service are awaiting consideration; and what the average waiting time for the consideration of these applications has been.

Angela Smith: There are currently 13,832 applications awaiting consideration in the system. The average waiting time for consideration of these applications is 28 weeks.

Skills Shortages

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to address skills shortages in Northern Ireland, with particular reference to the elementary occupations; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Northern Ireland Skills Task Force was established in 1999 to advise Government on skills issues. The Task Force has published skills monitoring reports, the most recent in September 2003, and has conducted research on future skills needs in priority skills areas including engineering, construction and tourism.
	The Department seeks to address the identified skill needs through its various programmes including the Jobskills Training programme and Further and Higher Education provision. Jobskills, including Modern Apprenticeships, together with a wider range of vocational education and training which addresses local and NI-wide skills needs, is provided through a network of further education colleges and private sector training providers.
	The Department has highlighted six priority skill areas for the further education sector and provides additional funding for these areas (computing, construction and the built environment, electronic engineering, manufacturing engineering, hospitality and catering, and software engineering). The development of Centres of Excellence in colleges in the six priority skill areas ensures that the provision is of industry standard. There are currently 13 Centres of Excellence in eight colleges.The Department also works closely with 13 Sector Training Councils in NI covering the major industrial sectors. In addition, the Department plays a full role in the new Skills for Business Network, a UK-wide system including Sector Skills Councils (SSCs). These SSCs aim to address all of the skill needs of their sectors and to involve employers more fully in these issues.
	With regard to elementary occupations, the Department seeks to fill such vacancies through its network of jobs and benefits offices and through use of the New Deal Programme where appropriate.
	The Department has also launched the Essential Skills for Living Strategy and Action Plan, which aims to support 25,000 adults to improve their literacy and numeracy skills by the year 2005. This will enable them to improve their overall quality of life, their personal development and employment opportunities. In the first year of the strategy, 6,500 learners have participated in a range of courses offered by the colleges, employers and community and voluntary providers.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adult Learning

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government are taking to encourage people over 60 to take part in adult learning.

Ivan Lewis: The White Paper '21st Century Skills: Realising Our Potential', published in July this year, reiterates the Government's commitment to ensuring that adults of all ages have the opportunities to develop the skills they need for employment and personal fulfilment. The White Paper highlights the benefits of learning for older people and sets out our intention to safeguard a wide range of learning opportunities for pensioners, including leisure-based learning which is accessed by many older people.
	Older people will also benefit from the new entitlement, announced in the White Paper, to free learning for all those studying for their first full Level 2 qualification [5 GCSEs or a similar vocational qualification] as a skills foundation for employability.

Brampton Abbotts School

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the funding of Brampton Abbotts Church of England primary school in Herefordshire.

David Miliband: Funding of individual maintained schools is the responsibility of the local education authority, which in the case of Brampton Abbotts CE Primary School is Herefordshire council.

Bullying

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what services are available to (a) students and (b) teachers to deal with bullying in schools.

Ivan Lewis: Students receive support from their school's pastoral support system. In addition ChildLine's CHIPS programme, which is part-funded by my Department, enables students at participating schools to talk to a trained peer supporter, buddy or mediator. Students at other schools can ring ChildLine's confidential helpline (0800 1111).
	Teachers can get support from senior managers in their schools, LEA advisory services (including the specialist Key Stage 3 Behaviour and Attendance advisers), the DfES anti-bullying pack "Bullying: don't Suffer in Silence" and the anti-bullying sections of our Key Stage 3 package of behaviour audit and training materials.

Bullying

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what the Government's estimate is of the proportion of children that were bullied in schools in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the North West region and (c) Merseyside in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what plans he has to reduce the number of children that are bullied in schools in England; and what additional resources the Government have made available in this financial year to schools to tackle bullying.

Ivan Lewis: Data on bullying is not collected centrally and there is no reliable basis for an estimate of prevalence. However, any level of bullying is too high so we are determined to help schools tackle it.
	Our guidance pack for schools 'Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence' and anti-bullying website (www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying) offer advice and examples of good practice in preventing bullying.
	I recently launched a new public information film aimed at children and young people. "Tell Someone" encourages pupils experiencing bullying to tell someone who can help rather than suffer in silence.
	Later this month I will be launching an anti-bullying Charter which I hope as many schools as possible will sign and use. The Charter is being drawn up in consultation with the professional associations and voluntary sector partners. It will be accompanied by a summary of effective practice to help schools review and enhance their anti-bullying policies.
	The Charter will be launched at the first of a series of regional conferences. These conferences will involve schools, local education authorities and voluntary organisations. As well as raising awareness, they will celebrate and share good practice in tackling bullying.
	We are investing nearly £470 million over the next three years in measures to tackle the full range of behaviour and attendance problems faced by schools and pupils. This programme promotes whole-school approaches and reflects local as well as national priorities so spending on bullying cannot be disaggregated. However, in 2003–04 we have separately provided ChildLine in Partnership with Schools (CHIPS) with £240,000 for anti-bullying work involving peer support and just over £190,000 to Parentline Plus for their helpline for parents which takes enquiries about bullying.

Childhood Obesity

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Department of Health, (b) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and (c) educational representatives on the role of education in tackling obesity among children; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The Department works closely with the Department of Health (DH), the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and others on a range of initiatives which educate children about the benefits of healthy eating, healthy food choices, and physical activity. One example is the National Healthy Schools programme that promotes healthy eating and healthy lifestyles, which is jointly sponsored by DfES and DH. A second example is the national PE, School Sport and Club Links strategy designed to ensure that 75 per cent. of five to 16-year-olds in England spend at least two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport, which is supported by DfES and DCMS.
	Last week the Secretary of State for Education and Skills announced that he will be working with the Secretary of State for Health and others to develop a joint "Healthy Schools: Healthy Living Action Plan", which will make healthy living an integral part of school life.

Education (13 to 19)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people aged 13 to 19 were in (a) school, (b) further education college and (c) neither school nor further education college in (i) 2001–02, (ii) 2002–03 and (iii) 2003–04.

Ivan Lewis: Data for the academic year 2003/04 is not available at the present.
	The numbers of 13 to 18-year-olds by type of institution attended for end 2001 to end 2002, the latest available year, are shown in the table.
	
		Participation by 13 to 18-year-olds
		
			  2001/02 2002/03 
		
		
			 13 to 15-year-olds   
			 Schools 1,892,259 1,920,952 
			 Not in schools(3) 15,390 15,635 
			 16 to 18-year-olds   
			 Schools 405,300 418,700 
			 Further Education Institutions (FEIs) 494,100 N/A 
			 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) 131,400 N/A 
			 Not in schools, FEIs or HEIs(4) 825,500 N/A 
		
	
	(3) This figure is for 11 to 15-year-olds. This will include, for example, pupils being educated at home, or non-statemented pupils in hospital.
	(4) These 16 to 18-year-olds not in schools, FE or HE institutions may be in government supported training (GST), employer funded training (EFT), other education training (GET) or employment.
	Data for 16 to 18-year-olds in the year 2002/03 (shown as N/A in the table), and updated 2001/02 figures, are due to be published on 20 November 2003 in the SFR "Participation in Education, Training and Employment By 16–18 year olds in England".

Education Provision (East Riding)

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the pay rates are for (a) primary school teachers, (b) secondary school teachers and (c) teaching assistants in the East Riding of Yorkshire in 2003–04.

David Miliband: Classroom teachers in the East Riding of Yorkshire are paid on the national pay scales for teachers in England and Wales. Apart from the London area, these national rates do not distinguish between geographic locations or between primary and secondary schools. The national pay rates for classroom teachers in England and Wales for 2003/04 are as follows:
	
		
			  £ pa 
		
		
			 M1 18,105 
			 M2 19,536 
			 M3 21,108 
			 M4 22,734 
			 M5 24,525 
			 M6 26,460 
			 U1 28,668 
			 U2 29,730 
			 U3 30,831 
			 U4 31,968 
			 U5 33,150 
		
	
	Newly qualified teachers normally start at point M1 and move up a point a year, subject to satisfactory service, until they reach point M6. They can then apply to be assessed against national standards and, if successful, move to point U1 with the possibility of further moves based on performance.
	Schools have discretion to give classroom teachers extra allowances worth up to £10,572 pa for taking on management responsibilities, up to £3,312 pa for teaching special educational needs pupils, and up to £5,415 pa for recruitment and retention purposes.
	The Government considers that pay and contractual arrangements for teaching assistants are best determined at local level and detailed information on these matters is not held centrally. Many local authorities are now reviewing support staff pay in the light of the agreement—commonly known as the Single Status Agreement—made in 1997 by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (NJC). A guidance document on the employment and grading of school support staff was published by the NJC in October. Links between potential roles and the pay of support staff will remain a matter for local determination, but the National Agreement on Raising Standards and Tackling Workload, signed on 15 January 2003 by the government, local authority employers and school workforce unions, makes clear that we expect support staff remuneration to reflect their level of training, skills and responsibilities.

Employer Training Pilots

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the Employer Training Pilots project.

Alan Johnson: We are in the process of considering the evaluation from the first year of operation of the pilots and it is our intention to publish an interim report in due course. In November 2002 a decision was made to extend the pilots to August 2004 to give us a wider base of evidence on which to base future policy decisions. We will be undertaking a full evaluation of the second year of operation and hope to publish a full report by Spring 2005.

GCSEs

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what proportion of 15-year-olds in (a) Wiltshire, (b) Dorset and (c) Devon achieved (i) five or more A* to C GCSE grades and (ii) five or more GCSE passes in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what proportion of 15 and 16-year-olds in (a) Wiltshire, (b) Dorset and (c) Devon were entered for GCSE examinations in each year since 1997.

David Miliband: holding answer 17 November 2003
	The statistical information requested is detailed in the following table.
	
		Percentage
		
			 Academic year Dorset Wiltshire Devon(6) 
		
		
			  Percentage of 15-year-old pupils(5) achieving 5 or more grades A*-C 
			 1997 49.8 50.5 44.0 
			 1998 50.0 51.9 47.0 
			 1999 53.5 52.3 48.4 
			 2000 54.6 55.5 49.1 
			 2001 56.4 55.5 51.3 
			 2002 59.0 57.0 50.4 
			 2003(7) 59.6 57.3 52.5 
			 
			  Percentage of 15-year-old pupils(5) achieving 5 or more grades A*-G 
			 1997 91 .9 90.7 89.8 
			 1998 92.7 91.0 91.1 
			 1999 93.7 90.7 91.0 
			 2000 93.0 91.9 91.2 
			 2001 92.1 91.7 90.5 
			 2002 91.9 90.7 89.9 
			 2003(7) 92.8 91.5 90.5 
			 
			  Percentage of 15- year- old- pupils(5) attempting at least one GCSE/GNVQ 
			 1997 95.9 95.8 96.6 
			 1998 96.7 95.8 97.3 
			 1999 96.9 95.8 96.8 
			 2000 96.2 96.4 96.8 
			 2001 96.7 96.2 96.5 
			 2002 96.9 96.1 96.7 
			 2003(7) 97.1 96.3 96.7 
		
	
	(5) Pupils are aged 15 at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August.
	(6) For 1997, Devon LEA included schools in Torbay and Plymouth. Following the Local Government reorganisation in 1998, Torbay and Plymouth schools are excluded from the Devon figures.
	(7) Provisional

Higher Education White Paper

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the graduate contribution scheme described in the White Paper on Higher Education is (a) debt, (b) an income contingent loan or (c) an individualised graduate tax.

Alan Johnson: Under the Graduate Contribution Scheme described in the Higher Education White Paper, students may take out a loan to cover the cost of their tuition fees, repayable on an income-contingent basis through the tax system.

Maths Teachers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage mathematics graduates to become teachers.

David Miliband: Since September 2000, £6,000 training bursaries have been available to postgraduate trainee teachers and £4,000 golden hellos for those who go on to teach priority subjects, including mathematics, in a maintained school. Since September 2002, these incentives have been reinforced by the Repayment of Teachers' Loans pilot scheme for new teachers of priority subjects. Recruitment to postgraduate courses of initial teacher training in mathematics has accordingly risen by 68 per cent. between 1999/2000 and 2003/04. Partly as a result of this increase, the number of unfilled vacancies for mathematics teachers in maintained secondary schools has fallen by 22 per cent. in only two years.
	The Government will build on these achievements over the coming years. The Teacher Training Agency is currently developing a number of new initiatives to bring more mathematics specialists into the classroom. These include enhancement courses designed to allow prospective teachers of mathematics to bring their subject-knowledge up to the required level for entry onto a postgraduate teacher training course.

Medical Students

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 November, Official Report, column 90W, if he will give a breakdown by individual institution of the 81 students on courses leading to registration with the General Medical Council and subsequent practice as a doctor who are under 21 and have less than the equivalent of three grade Cs at A level.

Alan Johnson: No. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) does not, as a matter of policy, publish sensitive student data at course level for individual institutions.

Minister for Children

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the Minister for Children sought advice from departmental officials before writing to the Chairman of the BBC about child abuse in Islington; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: The Minister for Children sought no advice from any departmental official, but did discuss in general terms with the Department's Special Advisers the possibility of writing to the BBC.

Modern Apprenticeships

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether (a) his Department and (b) its agencies carry out exit surveys with those who (i) complete and (ii) do not complete modern apprenticeships.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 17 November 2003
	DfES place the responsibility for planning and managing Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) on the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Both the Department and LSC place great importance on the role of learner surveys in quality strategies and improvement. The LSC have been running a learner satisfaction survey since early 2002 and the first report was published in November 2002. The main purpose of the survey is to interview those who are still in learning; however, it does cover some learners who have recently completed their course and also a small number who left early.
	Both the Department and the LSC are also aware of the importance of labour market destination data. Some feasibility work has recently been concluded and DfES and LSC along with ALI and Ofsted will shortly be publishing proposals as to how best to implement the recommendations.

Modern Apprenticeships

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of successfully completed modern apprenticeships in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03 were provided by (i) further education colleges, (ii) private training providers and (iii) employers.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 17 November 2003
	The information requested is not available. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) published framework completion rates for modern apprenticeship programmes as a whole in July 2003. Current apprenticeships training is delivered in a variety of different ways, including collaboration between various providers and so is not always an exclusive relationship between one provider and one apprentice—hence it is not possible to estimate the proportion of modern apprenticeships successfully completed through different providers.

Modern Apprenticeships

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of young people undertaking a modern apprenticeship in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03 had all or part of their training provided by a further education college.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 17 November 2003
	The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) publish figures on modern apprenticeships learner volumes within figures for work-based learning as a whole. They estimate that around 20 per cent. of modern apprenticeships were delivered directly through further education colleges in 2002/03. This figure excludes cases where other training providers for work-based learning have sub-contracted their delivery through further education colleges.

Non-EU Students

Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many non-European Union students registered for courses in (a) further education colleges and (b) universities in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Alan Johnson: The latest available figures are in the table.
	
		Number of non-European Union overseas students, studying in English FE colleges and HE institutions -- Thousand
		
			  FE colleges(8)  
			 Academic year Council funded Non-Council funded HE institutions(9) 
		
		
			 1997/98 5.1 n/a 92.7 
			 1998/99 5.7 n/a 94.8 
			 1999/2000 7.2 n/a 99.9 
			 2000/01 8.4 18.5 109.7 
			 2001/02 7.2 20.0 120.8 
		
	
	(8) FE data cover non-EU overseas students studying HE and FE in English FECs, based on a census count as at 1 November.
	(9) HE figures cover non-EU overseas students studying HE and FE in English HEIs including the OU, based on a census count as at 1 December.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Learning Skills Council (LSC).

National Vocational Qualifications

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he will take to raise the percentage of the London workforce with NVQ Level 2 qualifications.

Ivan Lewis: The Skills Strategy, published in July, set out our intention to introduce a new entitlement for any adult in the labour force to have access to free learning for their first full Level 2 qualification. This entitlement will enable individuals to reach a level of attainment that gives a platform of skills for employability, improve their position in the labour market, and increase their chances of undertaking further learning. We are working with the Learning and Skills Council nationwide on the phasing in of the Level 2 entitlement, with phase one in 2004–05 and full rollout beginning the following year.
	The Secretary of State has asked the London Development Agency and its partners to produce proposals showing how they will work together to address the key themes of the Skills Strategy, including raising the percentage of the workforce with Level 2 qualifications. The five local London LSCs are working together as a regional pioneer to ensure a consistent approach to improving the quality and responsiveness of post-16 skills provision through the Success for All strategy.
	Employer Training Pilots (ETPs) are testing new financial support measures to improve access to training and enable employees to attain basic and Level 2 skills. The East London pilot was launched in September this year and has already signed up 35 employers, 559 NVQ Level 2 learners and 26 basic skills learners.
	In addition, London West LSC is one of the 10 areas piloting the new Adult Learning Grant. The grant offers up to £30 per week to adults on low incomes studying full time for a first full Level 2 qualification, and young adults on low incomes studying full time for a first full Level 3 qualification.

Poorer Students

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what incentives he plans to introduce to encourage universities to offer places to poorer students under a mandatory bursary scheme;
	(2)  what form of bursary system he plans to adopt to help poorer students at universities that charge higher tuition fees;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the potential effects of a bursary system on the offer of places at university for poorer students;
	(4)  what amount from higher top-up fees he will require universities to set aside for bursaries from poorer students; and by what mechanism.

Alan Johnson: We are considering and discussing the content of access agreements and the duties of the Office for Fair Access, and will make a statement in due course.

Poorer Students

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what representations he has received from (a) Imperial College and (b) Sir Richard Sykes in respect of proposals to ask universities to provide bursaries for poorer students out of variable tuition fees;
	(2)  what representations he has received from universities in England regarding proposals to provide bursaries for poorer students out of variable top-up fees;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with universities in England regarding their preferred methods of contributing to bursaries for poorer students from higher tuition fees.

Alan Johnson: In our discussions over the content of access agreements and the duties of the Office for Fair Access, we have had representations from a range of interested parties including higher education institutions.

Post-16 Education

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures are in place to encourage schoolchildren to stay in school after the age of 16.

Ivan Lewis: "14–19: opportunity and excellence", issued in January 2003, sets out our plans to reform education and training for young people, offering a broader and more flexible range of options, including more vocational learning opportunities, to encourage greater participation and higher attainment throughout the 14–19 phase. Young people may choose to study at school, in a college or workplace, or a combination of these, depending on their individual needs and preferences.
	From September 2004, education maintenance allowance will be available across the country, offering means-tested payments to help support young people in post-compulsory education.
	The Connexions card is available to all young people aged 16–19 and offers a wide range of discounts on goods and services which help reduce the cost of learning. In addition young people attending a place of learning which adopts the card can earn points for attendance. These points can be exchanged for a wide variety of incentives and "money can't buy" opportunities which are exclusive to those who stay in learning.

School Funding

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether his pledge of increased school funding is aimed at assisting schools in meeting the cost of (a) incremental drift and (b) teachers crossing the pay threshold.

David Miliband: Increased school funding designed to help school maintain the improvement in standards since 1997. The cost of incremental drift has been taken into account in calculating average cost pressures, and although schools' costs will vary from the average, the 5 per cent. floor increase for LEAs should enable them to target resources at particular schools which have unavoidable higher than average staff costs. Threshold payments will continue to be fully funded through grant in 2004–05.

Tuition Fees

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his estimate is of the average debt medical students will face when they qualify as doctors if they are charged the maximum tuition fee per year.

Alan Johnson: Average additional debt for medical students as a result of being charged the maximum variable fee of £3,000 per year from 2006/07 will depend on whether they receive a higher education grant or a bursary from university; and whether they use these sums to offset fees. Currently students who are not eligible for means-tested grants for fees pay £1,125 contributions to fees. Over the four years when this Department is responsible for medical students' support, the maximum increase in support would be £1,875 per year, totalling an additional £7,500, to meet the difference. Poorer medical students will in addition be eligible for HE grants of up to £1,000 per year and university bursaries which will reduce their costs and hence their extra debt.
	The level of loan taken out by medical students will depend upon their individual circumstances and choices, including the extent to which they work while in higher education. In years five and six they currently pay no contribution to fees and are eligible for means tested NHS bursaries, which helps to keep down the level of debt. Medical students on graduation should have better prospects of secure employment and of higher salaries than the typical graduate and will therefore pay off their loans faster.

Tuition Fees

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues from other Departments in respect of increasing proposed tuition fee remission levels for students from poorer backgrounds.

Alan Johnson: The Secretary of State has had a number of discussions with colleagues across Government on all aspects of his proposals for financing higher education.

University Enrolments

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the work of the task force on university enrolments chaired by Professor Thomas.

Alan Johnson: I apologise for the delay in replying. I believe the reference is to the Higher Education Endowment Task Force chaired by Professor Eric Thomas, Vice Chancellor of Bristol University. The Task Force is focusing on: exploring tax incentives and models of matched funding schemes to encourage giving and institutions' capacity to raise funds; building a culture where universities ask for donations and donors are more willing to give; and elements necessary for a professional development office and effective fundraising. The Task Force is due to report in March 2004.

University Enrolments

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what evidence he has collated on higher education student participation by socio- economic class in (a) subgraduate qualifications, (b) first degree courses and (c) postgraduate qualifications.

Alan Johnson: The available information on undergraduate participation is the Age Participation Index (API). The API measures the proportion of UK domiciled initial entrants to full-time undergraduate HE by the age of 20 and is expressed as a percentage of the average of the 18 and 19-year-old populations. The most recent information, for 2001/02, is in the table.
	Participation rates for postgraduate study are not held centrally.
	
		Age Participation Index (API) by social class(10) and level of course, 2001/02
		
			 Social class First degree Sub degree(11) 
		
		
			 I Professional 77 3 
			 II Intermediate 47 3 
			 IIIn skilled non-manual 31 3 
			 IIIm skilled manual 19 2 
			 IV partly skilled 16 2 
			 V Unskilled 13 2 
			 I-IIIn 47 3 
			 Illm-V 18 2 
			 Total 30 6 
		
	
	(10) Figures rounded to nearest whole percentage.
	(11) Around a third of home domiciled sub-degree entrants to GB institutions, aged under 21 years, were part time in 2001/02 and so would not be included in the API.

Working Tax Credit

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost of raising the maximum child care element of the working tax credit from 70 per cent. of the costs of eligible child care to (a) 80 per cent., (b) 90 per cent. and (c) 100 per cent.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	Such increases are likely to prompt substantial changes in the amount spent on eligible child care. No reliable estimates are available of the sizes of these changes, and therefore of the total costs.

WALES

Coal Mining Communities

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has made to the Department of Trade and Industry regarding the amount paid to Welsh communities by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust in comparison with other former coal mining communities.

Don Touhig: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with Ministers at the Department for Trade and Industry covering matters of interest to people living in former coal mining areas of Wales.
	There have been no recent discussions on the Coalfields regeneration Trust.

Website

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent assessment he has made of the content and design of his Department's website.

Don Touhig: A recent review will lead to a bilingual homepage to more easily link to the parallel English and Welsh versions. A further review of the overall content and design of the site is due to begin shortly.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Support Agency

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library an updated progress report on the implementation of the new child support scheme.

Andrew Smith: I have today placed in the Library a second report on progress in implementation of the new child support scheme.

Child Support Agency

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when Child Support Agency cases which have been assessed under the old scheme and which are linked to cases which have been assessed under the new scheme will be re-assessed under the new scheme.

Chris Pond: Linked cases will transfer to the new scheme from the date on which the fresh case takes effect. (Cases are treated as linked where a person who already has an old scheme assessment is involved in a new scheme application. In addition there are special rules for households on certain prescribed benefits.)

Council Tax Benefit

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people eligible for but not claiming Council Tax Benefit in (a) the City of Edinburgh local authority area, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK in 2002–03.

Chris Pond: The information is not available.
	Statistics for Great Britain are presented in the DWP series "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up". The latest estimates relate to financial year 2000–01 and are in the Library.

Council Tax Benefit

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to improve the take-up of Council Tax Benefit among pensioners.

Chris Pond: Council Tax Benefit is administered by over 400 local authorities, each of which is required by legislation to take appropriate steps to ensure that people with a potential entitlement to Council Tax Benefit are made aware of the help available. Information is also contained in leaflet GL17 "Help with your Council Tax Benefit" as well as various other information leaflets and posters produced by the Department.
	Applicants for Pension Credit are asked if they want to claim Council Tax Benefit and they are either sent or given a claim form to return to their local authority. A similar approach is being taken when a customer changes address. The claim packs for Income Support and Jobseekers Allowance also include a claim form for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

Disability Rights Task Force

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received from the Disability Rights Task Force.

Maria Eagle: The Disability Rights Task Force was set up in 1997 to advise the Government on how best to meet our Manifesto commitment on comprehensive and enforceable civil rights for disabled people. Following its recommendations to Government, it was disbanded in December 1999.
	We have already legislated to meet many of the Task Force's recommendations, including:
	the Disability Rights Commission Act 1999;
	the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001;
	the Disability Discrimination (Blind and Partially Sighted Persons) Regulations 2003; and
	the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Amendment) Regulations 2003.
	We have also announced that we will take forward other Task Force legislative recommendations in a draft Disability Bill. The draft Bill will be published later this year with the intention that it undergo pre-legislative scrutiny. Following this process, the Bill will be introduced into Parliament.

Disability Living Allowance

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled (a) children under 16 and (b) people aged between 16 and 59 receive (i) Disability Living Allowance, (ii) Higher Rate Care Component only, (iii) Middle Rate Care Component only, (iv) Higher Rate Mobility Component only, (v) Higher Rate Care with Higher Rate Mobility Components, (vi) Higher Rate Care with Lower Rate Mobility Components, (vii) Middle Rate Care with Higher Rate Mobility Components, (viii) Middle Rate Care with Lower Rate Mobility Components and (ix) Lower Rate Care with Higher Rate Mobility Components; and how many recipients in each case are part of a household in which another adult under 60 or child also gets Disability Living Allowance at one of the above rates.

Maria Eagle: The information on the numbers of disabled people receiving the various combinations of Disability Living Allowance is given in the following table.
	
		Disability Living Allowance by age bands and componentsas at 31 May 2003
		
			 DLA combination Under 16 16–59 
		
		
			 Higher Rate Care Only 28.6 7.0 
			 Middle Rate Care Only 51.3 38.4 
			 Higher Rate Mobility Only 2.8 186.5 
			 Higher Rate Care and Higher Mobility 40.8 183.9 
			 Higher Rate Care Lower Rate Mobility 33.8 65.9 
			 Middle Rate Care and Higher Rate Mobility 15.2 172.4 
			 Middle Rate Care and Lower Rate Mobility 63.7 193.0 
			 Lower Rate Care and Higher Rate Mobility 0.9 183.4 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are in thousands and rounded to the nearest hundred.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample.
	5 per cent. of households with a person under 60 claiming Disability Living Allowance (DLA) have another person under 60 also claiming DLA. It is not possible to break this figure down by the individual components as requested.
	Notes:
	1. The information on numbers within households is based on data from the Family Resource Survey (FRS) for 2001–02.
	2. The information on benefit receipt taken from the FRS is based on self-assessment and therefore may be subject to misreporting.
	3. The estimates are based on sample counts that have been adjusted for non-response. These estimates are subject to sampling error and response bias.

Full-time Carers

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what additional support has been offered to private individuals who are full-time carers for friends and family since 1997.

Maria Eagle: "Caring about Carers—A National Strategy for Carers" published in 1999 underlined the Government's commitment to support carers. Carers are entitled to an assessment by their local council to determine their needs as carers and their eligibility for support. Depending on their individual circumstances, carers have access to the full range of social security benefits including Carer's Allowance (CA) (previously Invalid Care Allowance), the Carer Premium in income-related benefits and additional amounts in Pension Credit.
	The improvements we have made to the support and benefits for carers on top of the annual upratings of benefits include:
	the introduction of the Carers' Grant in 1999 to support local councils in providing short breaks for carers to enable them to continue to care while maintaining their own health and well-being. In response to requests from carers and others, the 2003–04 Carers Grant includes new flexibilities. Local councils can now use as much of the money as they wish in pooled budgets and they can fund more services directly for carers. This offers them the opportunity to support carers in more responsive and innovative ways, and not only through breaks;
	strengthening, in 2000, of the right of carers to an assessment of their own needs. Local councils were given a mandatory duty to support carers by providing them with services directly and with breaks from caring. In addition, Direct Payments from local councils were made available to carers to enable them to purchase carers services themselves. Resources for personal social services increased by 20 per cent. in real terms between 1996–97 and 2002–03, an average real terms increase of 3 per cent. a year, and will be increased by an annual average of 6 per cent. in real terms from 2003–04 to 2005–06. In 2001–02, local councils provided help to over 140,000 carers through the adults service and to some 52,000 people (including young carers) through the children's service;
	increasing the carer premium by £10 a week above normal uprating;
	increasing the CA earnings limit from £50 to £72 a week in 2001. Since then, the earnings limit has been increased each year in line with the rise in the national insurance lower earnings limit and is currently £77 after allowable expenses;
	abolishing the upper age limit on claims to CA in 2002, so that carers aged 65 and over can claim the allowance. People in receipt of basic state pension who are entitled to, but do not receive CA because of the overlapping benefit rules may be entitled to extra money with their income-related benefits or Pension Credit;
	extending entitlement to CA by up to eight weeks after death of disabled person being cared for; and
	from April 2003, requiring local councils to make direct payments to carers who have an assessed need and are able to manage the payments (alone or with assistance), and giving local councils discretionary powers to support flexibility in provision of short breaks for carers through the short term breaks voucher scheme.
	Carers can find out about the support and benefits available to them through various routes: on-line services such as UK Online, or the Government DWP and carers websites; by telephone via benefits helplines, NHS Direct, carers centres, Carers UK helpline; and booklets/leaflets published by the Government or voluntary sector.

Invalid Care Allowance

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged over 65 years have claimed Invalid Care Allowance and subsequently Carer's Allowance since 28 October 2002 in (a) Glasgow, Anniesland and (b) the United Kingdom.

Maria Eagle: Information for Great Britain is as follows.
	
		Number of claims received for Invalid Care Allowance and subsequently Carers Allowance since 28 October 2002
		
			  Claims received from people aged 65 and over 
		
		
			 Anniesland Glasgow 95 
			 Great Britain 31,450 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent sample

Pension Credit

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Argyll and Bute constituency are in receipt of Pension Credit; and what his estimate is of the number of pensioners in the constituency who are entitled to receive Pension Credit.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested.
	As at 17 October 2003 the number of people receiving Pension Credit in Argyll and Bute constituency was 2,735.
	Around 400,000 pensioner households are entitled to Pension Credit in Scotland.
	Notes:
	1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Figures are based on 100 per cent. Generalised Matching Service (GMS) data.
	3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.

Profiling

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research he has commissioned on the use of profiling; and if he will make a statement on the use of profiling within the benefit system.

Chris Pond: We have commissioned research to explore the potential in using statistical profiling to allocate work-focused help within the Department's client groups: sick and disabled people, lone parents and unemployed people. This research, which has been carried out by the Policy Studies Institute, is due to be published on 20 November 2003 and a copy of the report will be placed in the Library.
	We also commissioned a large-scale literature review to help inform the development of the screening process used in the Incapacity Benefit reform pilots introduced in October 2003. This screening is used to distinguish between those incapacity benefit clients who are likely to make an early return to work and those who are not. This enables us to provide more intensive support to return to the labour market to people in this second group. The report of the review "Screening to identify people at risk of long-term incapacity for work" by Professors Gordon Waddell, Kim Burton, and Chris Main was published in May 2003.
	In addition we have commissioned a literature review from the Institute for Employment Research, Warwick university to provide evidence to establish whether customer profiling could be useful to Jobcentre Plus, by using international comparisons from other public employment agencies.

Scottish Local Authorities

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which Scottish local authorities have returned unspent discretionary housing payment funds to the Department of Work and Pensions in each year for which figures are available; and how much was returned in each case.

Chris Pond: The information is in the table.
	
		Refunds by Scottish local authorities of unspent discretionary housing payment funds
		
			  Amount refunded (£) 
			 Local authority 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Aberdeen 43,840 12,905 
			 Aberdeenshire 21,388 0 
			 Angus 0 0 
			 Argyll-Bute 4,440 0 
			 Clackmannanshire 7,187 (13)— 
			 Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar 0 0 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 23,463 0 
			 Dundee 64,867 (13)— 
			 East Ayrshire 22,005 (13)— 
			 East Dunbartonshire 0 0 
			 East Lothian 4,842 (13)— 
			 East Renfrewshire 25,933 18,223 
			 Edinburgh 53,754 0 
			 Falkirk 10,441 (13)— 
			 Fife 47,489 3,106 
			 Glasgow 0 0 
			 Highland 5,319 (13)— 
			 Inverclyde 17,985 0 
			 Midlothian 3,420 7,723 
			 Moray 2,966 1,573 
			 North Ayrshire 16,262 (13)— 
			 North Lanarkshire 24,135 27,082 
			 Orkney 383 0 
			 Perth and Kinross 13,362 10,550 
			 Renfrewshire 42,148 (13)— 
			 Scottish borders 10,252 (13)— 
			 Scottish homes 6,534 (12)n/a 
			 Shetland 1,297 (13)— 
			 South Ayrshire 929 (13)— 
			 South Lanarkshire 14,799 0 
			 Stirling 11,484 6,756 
			 West Dunbartonshire 1,289 0 
			 West Lothian 19,315 0 
		
	
	(12) Scottish homes, the national housing agency for Scotland, ceased to administer benefits after 2001–02.
	(13) Refers to authorities that have not yet returned an audited final claim
	Notes:
	1. For 2001–02 most authorities was given their maximum grant and had to refund any under-spend.
	2. For 2002–03 each authority was given a partial grant adjusting payments and/or refunds are made where appropriate.
	Source:
	Audited final claims from local authorities.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Asylum Seekers

Andy King: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many qualified legal advisers have a Community Legal Service franchise to represent asylum seekers in England.

David Lammy: As at 1 November 2003, there were 504 solicitors' offices in England and Wales 1 with contracts to undertake publicly-funded immigration and asylum work. At the same date, there were 90 Not for Profit organisations in England and Wales with contracts to undertake publicly funded immigration and asylum work. It is not possible to provide figures for the number of advisers employed under these contracts.
	1 The LSC provides publicly-funded legal services in England and Wales through contracts with solicitors' offices and Not for Profit organisations. It is possible for solicitors based in Wales to represent clients in England and visa versa.

County Court Judgments

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many county court judgments have been made against individuals in (a) London and (b) England and Wales in each of the last six years.

Christopher Leslie: holding answer 17 November 2003
	Information identifying whether or not the claimant or defendant is either an individual or company is not held centrally. Consequently, figures relating specifically to individuals could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	For information, figures showing the overall number of judgments entered in the county courts in (a) London and (b) England and Wales are provided in the table.
	
		
			  London England and Wales 
		
		
			 1997 67,080 1,185,367 
			 1998 51,589 1,123,568 
			 1999 43,825 1,077,499 
			 2000 39,317 1,013,044 
			 2001 37,219 887,049 
			 2002 34,692 814,824

Dispute Resolution

David Kidney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what action his Department is taking to promote the use of alternative dispute resolution in legal cases in which Government Departments are involved.

David Lammy: In March 2001, the Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg) announced the Government's pledge to consider and use alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in their own disputes where suitable and wherever the other party accepts it. Since then, Departments, individually and collectively, have been taking forward work on embedding ADR in the way they handle their disputes.
	This Department collates information on the Government's use of ADR under the pledge. The latest report, published in July 2003, demonstrated increasing use of ADR. The report also highlighted the programme of awareness training that has been introduced across Departments. In addition, this Department's legal adviser chairs the ADR sub-group of the Government Legal Service Liaison Group, a cross-government body that was established as a result of the pledge, to promote awareness and use of ADR.

Dispute Resolution

David Kidney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what cost savings have been achieved by Government Departments through the use of alternative dispute resolution in place of legal proceedings since 2001.

David Lammy: From information provided by Departments, savings have been estimated at over £17 million in the period April 2001 to June 2002, attributable to their use of ADR. That said, it has not been possible to quantify potential savings in every instance.

Marriage Support

David Kidney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what action his Department (a) has taken and (b) proposes to take to implement the proposed strategy for marriage and relationship support contained in "Moving Forward Together".

David Lammy: The "Moving Forward Together" report was developed by the Advisory Group for Marriage and Relationship Support (AGMARS) and was published in March 2002. The Advisory Group consisted of officials from across Government and senior representatives of Marriage and Relationship Support (MARS) organisations. The strategy set out in the report was intended to inform the work of both the Government and organisations delivering marriage and relationship support services. The report was welcomed by the Government and in publishing it, my right hon. and learned Friend Lord Irvine the then Lord Chancellor, accepted the Group's recommendations.
	Significant progress has been made in taking forward the areas recommended for future development. The aims, objectives, and priorities of the annual Marriage and Relationship Support (MARS) Grant Programme reflect the AGMARS report's recommendations.
	As a result of the machinery of government changes in June 2003, responsibility for marriage and relationship support policy has transferred to DfES. My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Children and Families intends to continue to take the forward the range of developmental activities as an integral and important element of the wider range of family support services for which she is now responsible.

Mediation

Mark Oaten: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what action the Lord Chancellor is taking to promote the use of mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution in (a) civil and (b) criminal cases.

David Lammy: The Government have long held the view that litigation should be the dispute resolution method of last resort. The Civil Procedure Rules encourage the use of alternative dispute resolution, as do the pre-action protocols, which seek to encourage the settlement of disputes before court proceedings are issued. One of this Department's Public Service Agreement targets is to reduce the proportion of disputes that are resolved by resort to the courts. As part of the programme of work designed to achieve this, a number of court based pilot mediation schemes are being developed that will actively encourage the use of mediation. These will complement the local schemes that are already in operation, or under consideration, in a several of courts in England and Wales. The Government are also keen to expand the use of restorative justice in the adult criminal justice system, as well as continuing to build on its success in the youth justice system. Activity in this area is led by the Home Office, which published a strategy, in the form of a consultation document, in July 2003. The strategy covers both restorative justice, which involves mediated contact between offender and victim, and reparation to the community. The Home Office will publish a summary of the consultation responses on its website in the New Year.

Postcodes

Paul Truswell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what use the Department for Constitutional Affairs and its agencies make of postcode areas for (a) the collection and publication of data, (b) devising formulae for the distribution of grants and awards and (c) the delivery of services; and when such usages were last reviewed.

David Lammy: I apologise for the delay in responding to my hon. Friend's question; this was due to an administrative error.
	My Department, the Northern Ireland Court Service and the Land Registry do not currently make use of postcode areas.
	The Public Guardianship Office (PGO) has used postcode areas to help in the delivery of its services. During the financial year 2000–01, the PGO used the postcode information held in its case record system to help with the allocation of geographical areas to client visitors. The allocation of postcodes to each visitor was made so that an even number of clients was given to each of the visitors employed. This was intended to ensure fair and even coverage for the client base, as well as even workload for the visitors themselves. The use of postcodes has not been reviewed since this time.
	The National Archives has used postcode areas for the publication and dissemination of data on a very limited basis within the Marketing Department and the Education and Interpretation and Department. It does not use postcodes for the collection of data, distribute grants and awards or distribute external services on a postcode basis.
	The Legal Services Commission does not publish data at postcode level. However, the Commission collects postcode information for individual clients and suppliers holding contracts with the Commission for the Delivery of Legal Services. This information is held in the Commission's corporate information system and can be used by Community Legal Service Partnerships to identify geographical gaps in the supply of legal services.
	The Legal Services Research Centre (LSRC) has recently begun work on a new project, funded by the Office for National Statistics and Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, to identify, and if possible, collate data relating to legal services. Data collated may be by postcode area, though any published data will be aggregated to electoral ward level. The data will be publicly accessible on the Neighbourhood Statistics website: www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk

Probate Procedures

David Kidney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what progress his Department has made in implementing the recommendations of the review of probate procedures.

David Lammy: Following the Probate Service Review in 2001, a consultation paper was published in November 2002 seeking responses on the Review's recommendations. The responses are being analysed by the Court Service. The outcome of the analysis will be put to Ministers early in the New Year. A public announcement is expected by Easter 2004.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Advertisement Regulations

Lynne Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will take steps to empower local authorities to remove placards and posters displayed in contravention of advertisement regulations without the requirement to give two days' notice to the advertiser.

Keith Hill: No. The statutory two days minimum period must elapse before a local planning authority may remove or obliterate a placard or poster where it has served notice, on the person responsible for the poster, of its intention to do so. This provides that person with the opportunity to challenge the local planning authority's notice or to comply with it. Less than 48 hours is an unreasonably short period of time in which to expect the notice to reach the advertiser and for him to take action.

Assisted Property Purchases

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many times local authorities have assisted people in buying properties in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) amount spent.

Keith Hill: The information requested covers a number of low cost home ownership schemes including the Cash Incentive Scheme, Homebuy, Do It Yourself Shared Ownership and Right to Buy. As this comprises a considerable amount of data I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the reply in the Library of the House.

Care Homes

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average funding offered by each county council and unitary authority to people who have been admitted to care homes was in 2002–03.

Stephen Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.
	The 2002–03 average gross weekly expenditure per person, in shire counties and unitary authorities, on supporting adults in residential and nursing care homes is shown in the table.
	
		£
		
			  Shire counties Unitary authorities 
		
		
			 Older People 351 352 
			 Adults with Learning Disabilities 610 677 
			 Adults with Mental Illness 429 412 
			 Adults with Physical Disabilities 526 552

Community Land Trusts

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the role of community land trusts as a vehicle for providing affordable housing, with particular reference to key worker housing.

Keith Hill: The Government have not yet fully assessed community land trusts and therefore have no immediate plans to pursue this model but agree in principle about the need to bring together site preparation, the provision of a mixture of social and private sector housing and development contributions where necessary. Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future signals a further move in this direction, for example through closer working between English Partnerships (EP) and the Housing Corporation. The Housing Corporation and English Partnerships have established a joint unit to bring together EP's land holdings expertise with the Corporation's affordable housing programme. And we are proposing to extend the Corporation's power to fund bodies other than housing associations, with a view to widening the opportunities for encouraging new housing development.

Correspondence

Anthony Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Totnes to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, dated 27 August 2003, concerning Dr. C. Taylor of Totnes and the Local Communities Sustainability Bill, which was transferred to his Department.

Keith Hill: I replied to the hon. Member on 17 November 2003.

Council Housing

Ken Purchase: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 3 November 2003, Official Report, columns 497–98W, on council housing, what the 10 per cent. additional subsidy represents in cash terms to a local authority.

Keith Hill: The additional subsidy to support borrowing for expenditure by Arm's Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) for local authorities with ALMOs that qualified for funding in 2002–03 and those that have so far qualified in 2003–04 is as follows:
	
		£
		
			 Local authority Subsidy 2002–03 Subsidy 2003–04 
		
		
			  ALMO qualified in 2002–03 
			 Ashfield 1,012,603 2,400,000 
			 Derby 1,312,164 3,110,000 
			 Hounslow 1,179,452 3,500,000 
			 Kirklees 1,917,808 6,250,000 
			 Rochdale 835,397 2,420,000 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 1,353,288 4,450,000 
			 Westminster 745,260 2,030,000 
			 Wigan 1,788,932 5,830,000 
			
			  ALMO qualified in 2003–04 
			 Barnsley — 2,773,770 
			 Blyth Valley — 1,329,235 
			 Bolton — 3,427,131 
			 Brent — 2,342,213 
			  Kensington and Chelsea— 1,580,334 
			  Leeds (north east and west)— 1,225,282 
			 Oldham — 3,033,211 
			 TOTAL 10,144,904 45,701,176 
		
	
	Overall subsidy entitlements for later years, including those for ALMOs that have yet to qualify for funding, have yet to be determined.

Council Housing

Ken Purchase: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what requirement there will be on regional housing boards to ring-fence additional subsidy provided for arm's length management organisations.

Keith Hill: Regional Housing Boards advise Ministers on the allocation of housing capital resources. They do not make recommendations on the allocation of funding specifically for arm's length management organisations (ALMOs).
	The additional funding awarded for ALMOs takes the form of Housing Revenue Account Subsidy to support borrowing. Housing Revenue Account Subsidy may be used only for Housing Revenue Account purposes.

Council Housing

Ken Purchase: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 3 November 2003, Official Report, column 498W, on council housing, what plans he has to continue additional funding for arm's length management organisations beyond Rounds 1 and 2 of the current programme.

Keith Hill: I announced on 28 July 2003 (in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Press Notice 147) that 13 local authorities have been awarded places in Round three of the Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) programme. Conditional funding for these ALMOs totals £360 million for 2004–05 and 2005–06. This is in addition to the 20 authorities with confirmed or conditional 2-year allocations of ALMO funding totalling £700 million in Rounds one and two. Bids for places in Round four have been invited by 31 December 2003. Funding for ALMOs beyond 2005–06, including possible further Rounds, is subject to the outcome of the 2004 Spending Review.

Council Housing

Stephen Byers: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to ensure that equal funding is being made available for tenants who wish to remain within council ownership and control rather than stock transfer as an arm's length management organisation.

Keith Hill: The Sustainable Communities Plan made it clear that local authorities seeking additional investment in their housing stock are able to choose from three options: stock transfer, PFI and ALMOs.
	The Plan also made it clear that authorities that do not pursue these options cannot expect increased investment above that provided for through mainstream housing funding.
	The funding available for social housing, although greatly increased under this Government, is inevitably limited; and we wish to use it in ways that will most improve the lives of tenants.
	To make best use of those resources the Government will only provide additional funding to councils that separate their landlord and strategic functions. This provides a strong incentive to better performance; ensures a sharper focus on the two distinct housing functions; and guarantees that tenants have a greater role in the future management of their homes.

Council Housing

Stephen Byers: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what procedures he has put in place to ensure that full and effective consultation takes place with council tenants during the appraisal of the option of stock disposal; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Hill: The Government are committed to bringing all social homes up to set standards of decency by 2010. The PSA Plus Review of the decent homes target emphasised that tenants must be at the heart of plans to deliver decent homes.
	Arrangements for involving tenants should be set out in locally agreed Tenant Participation Compacts. These should be based on standards set out in the National Framework for Tenant Participation Compacts. Tenants must have access to independent advice and support and to capacity building and training throughout, from the investment appraisal stage to after transfer. An Independent Tenant Adviser (ITA) should be appointed at an early stage in the process and retained until after the ballot.
	With ALMOs, local authorities should consult with tenants on the functions to be transferred and the continuing role of the local authority, and the rights of tenants and leaseholders. They should consult on the composition and status of the arms length body and its Board, including the selection and role of the tenant Board members.
	In the case of a Transfer, tenants should be central to all stages of the investment appraisal and development of a proposal, including the selection of a prospective new landlord. Tenant consultation and participation should feature strongly in transfer proposals, and transfer landlords are expected to provide opportunities for tenants to have a real say in the management of their homes.
	In order to inform tenants about the Decent Homes agenda the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is organising a series of regional roadshows that will help to develop their skills and knowledge so that they can participate effectively in the Options Appraisal process. We are also making arrangements to produce a video for tenants explaining the various stock options.

Council Housing

Jon Trickett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many council houses have been the subject of stock transfer since June 2001; and what the average capital receipt per property accruing to the local authority was.

Keith Hill: 205,483 dwellings have transferred from local authorities to registered social landlords since June 2001. The average tenanted market value per dwelling was £4,990. The tenanted market value reflects the requirement to maintain the property for social renting and to a decent homes standard in perpetuity.

Council Housing

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the Audit Commission on the effects of large scale voluntary transfers.

Keith Hill: Officials work closely with the Audit Commission and were members of the study advisory group for the Commission's report on Housing after transfer: The local authority role which was published on 5 December 2002.

Departmental Staff

Howard Flight: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) special advisers, (b) press officers, (c) civil servants, (d) advisers to civil servants and (e) permanent staff were working for his Department in each year since 1996.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established on 29 May 2002.
	Staffing information is available in Table C of the annual publication 'Civil Service Statistics', which covers Permanent Staff numbers in each department and agency from 1995 to 2002. Copies of the publication are laid in the Libraries of both Houses. The latest edition, based on April 2002 data, was published on 24 July 2003. These figures include press officers.
	Alternatively, this information is available at the following address on the Cabinet Office Statistics website http://www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics/css.htm
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister currently employs three special advisers: two full-time and one part-time. The term "advisers to civil servants" is not a recognised job title.

Elected Regional Assemblies

Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure that public money spent on information campaigns in the three English regions due to hold referendums on elected regional assemblies is not used to promote a particular view.

Nick Raynsford: The Government's Information Campaign is in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code and Guidance on the Work of the Government Information Service. Its purpose is to inform people of the key issues and to stimulate debate, not to influence the referendum outcome. Guidance on what civil servants can and cannot do in the run up to the referendum will be issued nearer the time.

English Partnerships

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what criteria English Partnerships uses in reaching decisions on funding priorities; and what account English Partnerships takes of the North West Regional Housing Strategy in its decision-making process.

Keith Hill: English Partnerships' priorities for new projects focus on:
	The 20 per cent. most deprived wards in the country;
	The Coalfields programme ;
	Urban Regeneration Company areas;
	Housing Market Renewal Fund pathfinder areas;
	Target areas for major housing growth in the South East of England;
	Strategic brownfield sites in or close to any of the above priority areas or in areas of housing pressure or housing abandonment;
	Other discretionary projects where funding constraints allow and which would promote wider regeneration benefits, particularly where EP can add significant value.
	English Partnerships is represented on the North West Regional Housing Board and takes the strategy into account when making decisions on specific projects in the region.

English Partnerships

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Deputy 
	(1)  Prime Minister for what period Lancaster City Council has requested funding from English Partnerships for the West End housing regeneration project in Morecambe; and for what sums for that project over that period the Council has applied;
	(2)  what discussions English Partnerships has held with Lancaster City Council regarding funding for (a) West End Housing Regeneration Project, Morecambe and (b) Luneside Development, Lancaster; and what decisions were reached;
	(3)  what funding English Partnerships is providing to Lancaster City Council to fund (a) a masterplan for the West End Housing Generation Project in Morecambe and (b) annual costs of a project team for the project.

Keith Hill: The Chief Executive of English Partnerships (EP) met members and officers of Lancaster City Council in October to discuss EP's role in both the West End of Morecambe and the Luneside redevelopment. English Partnerships is working with Lancaster City Council to find appropriate regeneration solutions for both areas.
	(a) West End of Morecambe: EP has already committed £100,000 for a masterplanning study to determine the precise scope, cost and timetable for the regeneration of this area. As a result of last month's visit, EP has also agreed to fund the £200,000 cost of a project team for the next 12 months. The Council has made no additional requests for funding from English Partnerships.
	EP is working actively with the Council to facilitate the appointment of the masterplanning organisation as soon as possible, hopefully in December.
	(b) Luneside: the Council is currently finalising its proposals for the regeneration of this site and a submission is expected to go forward to English Partnerships shortly.

Environmental Health Officers

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people in each year since 1997 (a) were in professional training to become environmental health officers and (b) entered the profession as environmental health officers.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not hold this information centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Employers Organisation for local government has provided some limited information taken from the Environmental Health Workforce Survey 2002. This survey shows that during 2002–03 129 student environmental health officers were due to qualify in England. During 2003–04 this figure is expected to increase to 159
	During the 12 months up until 1 January 2002, 118 Environmental Health Officers entered English local authorities as first appointments.
	Data for other years since 1997 is not available.

Environmental Health Officers

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to increase the number of environmental health officers.

Phil Hope: The Local Government Association set up the Regulatory Services Partnership in July this year, in order to find ways of addressing the need to recruit and retain environmental health officers. The partnership includes the Local Government Association, the Welsh Local Government Association, the Local Authority Coordinators of Regulatory Services, the Improvement and Development Agency, the Employers' Organisation, the Trading Standards Institute and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.
	The Partnership's programme of actions is aimed at raising the profile of local authority public protection regulatory services with the community and within local and central government. The actions also aim to improve these services generally and address the recruitment and retention issues concerning Environmental Health Officers and Trading Standards Officers.
	The need to improve local government recruitment, including that of environmental health officers, has been recognised in the Pay and Workforce Strategy for Local Government. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is working with the Local Government Association and Employers Organisation to take forward the implementation of the strategy.

Environmental Health Officers

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many environmental health officers were employed in each year since 1997 (a) in England and (b) broken down by local authority area.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not hold this information centrally. The Employers Organisation for local government has provided some limited information taken from the "Environmental Health Workforce Survey 2002". This survey shows that in January 2002 there were 4,565 environmental health officers employed in English local authorities. Data for other years since 1997 is not available.
	The survey provides a breakdown by type of authority and shows that 678 were employed in London boroughs, 880 employed in metropolitan districts, 2,299 employed in Shire districts and 708 employed in English unitaries.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service

Mark Francois: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total number of vacancies for retained firefighters in the Essex fire and rescue service was on 1 September.

Nick Raynsford: There are currently 49.25 full-time equivalent (FTE) vacancies for retained firefighters in Essex fire and rescue Service.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service

Mark Francois: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many retained firefighters were employed by the Essex Fire and Rescue Service on 1 September 2003.

Nick Raynsford: On 31 March 2003 (the latest available figures), there were 379 retained firefighters in post (expressed in 24-hour units). The actual head count figure was 472.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service

Mark Francois: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many control room staff were employed by the Essex Fire and Rescue Service on 1 September 2003.

Nick Raynsford: On 31 March 2003 (the latest figures available), there were 39 control room staff in post in full-time equivalents (FTE). The actual head count figure was 43.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service

Mark Francois: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many fire engines were retained by the Essex fire and rescue service on 1 September.

Nick Raynsford: As at 31 March 2003 (the latest figures available) there were 72 front-line pumping appliances (fire engines), with 15 reserve pumping appliances.

Exchange Flags (Liverpool)

Louise Ellman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what evidence was shown to English Partnerships to substantiate the claim by the Walton Group that they had paid their wholly owned subsidiary Todd and Benn Contractors £23,705,511 in relation to Exchange Flags in Liverpool;
	(2)  when the Walton Group presented the certificate to English Partnerships certifying that they had refurbished Exchange Flags in Liverpool; what work was specified in that certificate; and what the (a) names and (b) qualifications were of the persons who signed the certificate.

Keith Hill: Under the terms of the City Grant Agreement dated 31 July 1992 between the Walton Group and the Secretary of State, each quarterly grant claim submitted by Walton Group was accompanied by a letter from an external auditor and were based on a valuation certificate given by an external Chartered Quantity Surveyor.
	The auditor's letters certified that the Walton Group had maintained adequate records and received no other public sector support for the project, and that the claims were in accordance with the City Grant Agreement and Walton Group had defrayed expenditure to cover the qualifying costs incurred.
	The last such claim submitted covered the quarter ending 31 May 1994. The accompanying auditor's letter certified that the Walton Group had defrayed expenditure to cover qualifying costs amounting to £23,705,511. It also listed various works that had been undertaken.
	I will write to my hon. Friend with further details of this.

Food Expenditure

David Lidington: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was spent on food by his Department and by each of the agencies for which it is responsible in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; what proportion of that food by value was produced in the United Kingdom; what guidance he has issued to encourage the procurement of home-produced food; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was formed on 29 May 2002 and it is thus not possible to provide data for the Office prior to then.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's expenditure on food is generally limited to official hospitality provided by the Office and meals and refreshments provided to delegates to the Fire Service College. Expenditure 2002–03 was £225,274 on official hospitality and £341,374 on meals and refreshments at the Fire Service College.
	The current catering contracts for the headquarters of the Office neither prescribe the source of produce supplied nor require contractors to provide this information. It is anticipated this will change when new contracts are put in place next year. 72 per cent. of the food supplied to the Fire Service College was produced in the UK.
	Officials of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are working closely with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to integrate and promote the principles of sustainable development into the public procurement of food and catering services.

Local Government Finance

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 17 September 2003, Official Report, column 739W, on formula funding share, on what basis he will determine the 2005–06 formula funding share.

Nick Raynsford: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer to the hon. Member for Reigate (Mr. Blunt) of 6 November 2003, Official Report, column 794W.

Government Office for the South West

Adrian Flook: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff are employed by the Government Office for the South West; and how many were employed in 1997.

Yvette Cooper: In 1997 the Government Office for the South West (GOSW) carried out work on behalf of four Departments and employed 173 full time equivalent staff. Since then GOSW has taken on additional work for a further six Departments and the administration of the £300 million Cornwall Objective One programme, and now employs 313 full time equivalent staff and 18 inward secondees or attachments.

Hazardous Waste

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many planning applications are being considered for hazardous waste landfill; and how many sites for hazardous waste landfill received planning approval in the last year for which figures are available.

Keith Hill: Information collected by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on planning applications relates to decisions taken and does not distinguish the waste stream going to landfill. In 2002–03, 335 planning applications relating to landfill were considered by waste planning authorities, of which 302 were approved. A breakdown of those decisions relating to landfill by type of application is in the table.
	
		
			 Nature of application Number Granted Refused 
		
		
			 New site 73 57 16 
			 Extension to area 12 11 1 
			 Extension to life 47 45 2 
			 Deepening or other within site 25 25 0 
			 Increasing void for landfill 11 10 1 
			 Ancillary operations 40 38 2 
			 Variation of conditions 69 64 5 
			 Sum of above(14) 227 250 27 
			 Total 335 302 33 
		
	
	(14) Totals do not correspond to number of waste planning decisions because some were categorized as being of a dual nature and some were not specified as to nature of application.
	Source:
	Data provided to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister by waste planning authorities on CPS1/2 Returns.

Housing

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 12 December 2002, Official Report, column 488W, on housing, when he expects to publish the updated Survey of English Housing, based on the population figures from the 2001 Census.

Keith Hill: The report on the Survey of English Housing 2001–02 is due to be published in December 2003. Some of the key findings of the 2001–02 survey were published on 20 August 2002 in "Housing Statistics Summary No. 13", and a large batch of 2001–02 tables was published on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website last December. Further batches have been published since, and currently there are 346 tables on the website. In addition, some of the findings of the 2002–03 survey have been published in "Housing Statistics Summary No. 17" and "Housing Statistics Summary No. 18". It is intended to publish a large batch of 2002–03 tables on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website in December 2003.

Housing

Paul Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many properties in Shrewsbury and Atcham are awaiting adaptations for disabled people; and what the estimated value is of such adaptations.

Keith Hill: There are currently 353 residential properties in the social and private sector that are awaiting adaptations for disabled people in Shrewsbury and Atcham. The estimated value of the adaptations is £2.3 million.

Landfill Sites

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he issues to local authorities on the siting of landfill sites in the green belt.

Keith Hill: National planning policy on waste management is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 10 "Planning and Waste Management". This states that
	"sites which are protected by national and regional policies on the restraint of development will not generally prove acceptable for waste management facilities".
	Local planning authorities should also have regard to Planning Policy Guidance Note 2 "Green Belts" (PPG2). This advises that the carrying out of operations and the making of material changes of use which do not maintain the openness of the Green Belt and conflict with the purposes of including land in the Green Belt would not be appropriate development. In such cases applicants would have to demonstrate that there were very special circumstances that clearly outweighed the harm that the development would cause to the Green Belt. PPG2 also states that when large-scale development or redevelopment of land occurs in the Green Belt (which may include the tipping of waste) it should, so far as possible, contribute to the achievement of the objectives for the use of land in Green Belts.

Morecambe

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding was granted by the North West Regional Development Agency in each year since 1997 for regeneration of Morecambe's sea front; and what sums have been allocated by the Agency for future years.

Keith Hill: A £4.3 million programme for the regeneration of Morecambe was approved in 1994 under the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) Round 1 scheme "Turning the Tide". Prior to the creation of North West Development Agency (NWDA) in April 1999, this was administered by Government Office for the North West (GO-NW).
	The programme was delegated to Lancaster City Council, as Accountable Body, and a Partnership Board which then appraised and approved a number of projects within that delegation limit. Some of those projects provided for the regeneration of the seafront, although the exact amount of funding for that particular activity is not known. The SRB scheme completed in 2002 and was fully spent.
	Since it took over responsibility for SRB in 1999, NWDA has allocated over £ l million to Morecambe, including a contribution of £44,000 towards a Morecambe Resort Action Plan study.
	Tabled are the breakdowns in the investment since 1997, which includes an additional £482,000 from English Partnerships in 1998–99.
	
		
			  Investment £ Thousand 
		
		
			 1997–98 1,340 
			 1998–99 955 
			 1999–2000 448 
			 2000–01 350 
			 2001–02 205 
			 2002–03 72 
		
	
	NWDA is currently working with Urban Splash and Lancaster City Council on proposals to repair, refurbish and re-develop the Midland Hotel and its environs. This could lead to substantial new NWDA investment in future years.

Overcrowded Housing

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the 2001 Census estimate of the percentage of children who live in overcrowded housing; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is aware of the Census results relating to occupancy, including the relatively high percentage of children who live in "overcrowded" housing. These results, alongside those from the Survey of English Housing, are being taken into account of in our on-going work on this topic.

Overcrowded Housing

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what obligations a local housing authority has to a household deemed to be statutorily overcrowded.

Keith Hill: Under section 167 of the Housing Act 1996, a local housing authority is required to have an allocation scheme for determining priorities in the allocation of housing accommodation. That scheme must ensure that reasonable preference is given to:
	"people occupying insanitary or overcrowded housing or otherwise living in unsatisfactory housing conditions".
	Where a person applies to a local housing authority as homeless, the authority must decide whether or not he is homeless under section 175 of the Housing Act 1996. In reaching their decision, the local housing authority must not treat the applicant as having accommodation (if he does) unless it is accommodation which it would be reasonable for him to continue to occupy. Where statutory overcrowding exists, it will be a relevant consideration in reaching this decision, but under section 177(2) the local housing authority may also have regard to the general circumstances prevailing in relation to housing in the district.

Parks and Green Spaces

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action his Department is taking to encourage local authorities to protect and develop parks and green spaces, with particular reference to (a) Sunderland and (b) Redcar and Cleveland.

Keith Hill: Sunderland and Redcar and Cleveland will benefit from our support for local authorities to protect and develop parks and green spaces, which are essential to sustainable communities.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects local authorities to undertake a robust assessment of needs and opportunities and develop a strategic approach to protect and provide their parks and green spaces.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister supports authorities with free advice, delivered through Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) Space, to develop a strategic approach to parks and green spaces where they do not already have one.
	We will continue to develop and promote better practice in civic spaces.

Regional Co-ordination Unit

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many full-time equivalent employees were employed in the Regional Co-ordination Unit (a) when it was first established and (b) in July.

Yvette Cooper: 47 full time equivalent staff were employed by the Regional Co-ordination Unit (RCU) when it was first set up in summer 2000 to implement the conclusions of the Performance and Innovation Unit's "Reaching Out" report. Since then the unit has expanded, taking on new roles including business co-ordination and knowledge management, while the network of sponsors has increased from three to 10. In July 2003 there were 65 full-time equivalent employees.

Regulatory Reform Act

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what arrangements he has put in place to assess the effect of orders under the Regulatory Reform Act 2001 on local authorities' activities in (a) the issuing of grants and loans for home repair, improvement and adaptation, (b) aiding people to buy new properties, (c) issuing of disabled facilities grants and (d) the creation of renewal areas;
	(2)  how many times local authorities have given financial assistance for home repair, improvement and adaptation (a) in each of the last 10 years and (b) since 18 July 2002, broken down by local authority; and how much was spent in each case;
	(3)  how many times local authorities assisted people in buying new properties since 18 July 2002, where the authority judged moving to be more appropriate than adapting an existing home;
	(4)  how many times local authorities assisted people in buying new properties where existing homes were subject to compulsory or voluntary purchase for renewal or clearance in each of the last 10 years.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is working in collaboration with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Welsh Assembly Government by jointly commissioning research to monitor the development and implementation of new strategies by local authorities and to identify good practice for broader dissemination. This follows the coming into force on 18 July 2002 of the Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002 (RRO 2002), which gave local authorities wider powers to provide assistance to private homeowners for repair and renovation. This research work is on-going until October 2004. An initial progress report was published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister at the beginning of November showing that, by March 2003, four-fifths of authorities were in the process of planning and developing loan/grant packages, the majority of which include outside expertise and support. Progress in implementing these strategies will be assessed through the research and from statistical information provided by local authorities.
	A table showing the number of grants and amount spent on private sector housing renewal and on disabled facilities by each local authority in England over the last six years has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	Separately, data are being collected for 2002–03 and subsequent years on local authority expenditure in England using the new RRO 2002 power. This will show the amount spent on grants and loans by each authority split by type of recipient (elderly on benefit, non-elderly on benefit, disabled) and by geographical area including the amount spent in renewal areas. These data are still being analysed and will not be published until early 2004.
	Information is not collected separately on local authority expenditure designed to assist people to move to another dwelling, either for adaptation or because the existing home is subject to compulsory or voluntary purchase for renewal or clearance.

Revenue Support Grant

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was (a) raised in council tax and (b) contributed in revenue support grant in (i) each authority within and (ii) the county areas of (A) Tyne and Wear, (B) Durham and (C) Northumberland in each year since 2000–01; and what estimate he has made in respect of 2003–04.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			Council tax requirement (£000) 
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Tyne and Wear(15) 
			 Gateshead 48,874 51,368 55,313 61,748 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 66,196 69,413 74,497 82,248 
			 North Tyneside 51,101 54,176 58,548 63,683 
			 South Tyneside 36,408 37,962 41,001 44,056 
			 Sunderland 59,281 63,208 68,444 73,604 
			 Tyne and Wear Fire and Civil Defence Authority 14,311 15,657 16,928 18,449 
			  
			 Durham 
			 Durham County Council 99,035 103,761 120,146 131,755 
			 Chester-le-Street 2,041 2,175 2,368 2,623 
			 Derwentside 4,793 5,144 5,899 6,103 
			 Durham City 3,567 3,804 4,304 4,449 
			 Easington 6,279 6,583 7,037 7,220 
			 Sedgefield 6,623 6,991 7,647 7,924 
			 Teesdale 1,224 1,300 1,453 1,549 
			 Wear Valley 2,925 3,056 3,366 3,392 
			 Durham police authority(16) 9,129 9,855 11,374 14,140 
			 Darlington unitary authority(16) 20,863 23,767 27,278 29,436 
			  
			 Northumberland(15) 
			 Northumberland County Council 76,380 81,896 88,322 100,664 
			 Alnwick 1,587 1,703 1,818 1,925 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 1,215 1,275 1,341 1,481 
			 Blyth Valley 2,897 3,100 3,427 3,446 
			 Castle Morpeth 2,767 2,952 3,360 3,745 
			 Tynedale 3,013 3,178 3,450 3,781 
			 Wansbeck 2,398 2,609 2,715 2,745 
			  
			 Northumbria Police Authority(15) 21,218 22,872 24,062 26,561 
		
	
	(15) Northumbria Police Authority covers both Tyne and Wear and Northumberland County Council areas.
	(16) Durham Police Authority covers Darlington UA and Durham County Council.
	Revenue support grant (RSG) figures cannot be considered in isolation in this context, because the amounts payable depend upon the amounts of redistributed national non-domestic rates (NNDR) that an authority receives. Both RSG and NNDR are therefore included in the following table. Grant figures are not consistent between years because of changes in function.
	
		£000
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 
			  RSG NNDR Total RSG NNDR Total 
		
		
			 Tyne and Wear(17)   
			 Gateshead 92,657 55,370 148,027 97,851 53,836 151,687 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 132,208 76,848 209,056 139,539 74,215 213,754 
			 North Tyneside 77,075 54,012 131,087 83,013 52,519 135,532 
			 South Tyneside 76,875 43,028 119,903 81,201 41,716 122,917 
			 Sunderland 137,515 81,373 218,888 145,032 79,005 224,037 
			 Tyne and Wear Fire and Civil Defence Authority 21,415 10,728 32,143 22,994 10,488 33,482 
			 Durham   
			 Durham 163,867 126,543 290,410 173,761 123,386 297,147 
			 Chester-le-Street 1,395 2,177 3,572 1,609 2,163 3,772 
			 Derwentside 2,913 3,360 6,273 3,141 3,277 6,418 
			 Durham City 2,736 3,438 6,174 3,031 3,430 6,461 
			 Easington 4,979 3,559 8,538 5,359 3,484 8,843 
			 Sedgefleld 3,447 3,400 6,847 3,795 3,359 7,154 
			 Teesdale 800 952 1,752 876 949 1,825 
			 Wear Valley 2,870 2,398 5,268 3,183 2,344 5,527 
			 Durham Police Authority(18) 18,383 14,069 32,452 19,871 13,937 33,808 
			 Darlington Unitary Authority(18) 34,230 29,209 63,439 36,742 28,268 65,010 
			
			 Northumberland(17)   
			 Northumberland 98,217 77,383 175,600 105,934 75,597 181,531 
			 Alnwick 1,181 1,194 2,375 1,334 1,201 2,535 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 1,177 1,010 2,187 1,290 994 2,284 
			 Blyth Valley 2,955 3,073 6,028 3,238 3,010 6,248 
			 Castle Morpeth 890 1,912 2,802 1,050 1,904 2,954 
			 Tynedale 1,451 2,238 3,689 1,577 2,211 3,788 
			 Wansbeck 2,883 2,365 5,248 3,143 2,325 5,468 
			
			 Northumbria Police Authority(17) 54,115 32,999 87,114 58,067 32,586 90,653 
		
	
	
		
			2002–03   2003–04 
			  RSG NNDR Total RSG NNDR Total 
		
		
			 Tyne and Wear(17)   
			 Gateshead 93,325 58,472 151,797 106,154 55,971 162,125 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 132,377 80,340 212,717 155,069 75,993 231,062 
			 North Tyneside 78,904 57,643 136,547 92,071 56,212 148,284 
			 South Tyneside 80,687 45,358 126,045 92,330 44,731 137,060 
			 Sunderland 142,289 85,984 228,273 165,563 82,211 247,774 
			 Tyne and Wear Fire and Civil Defence Authority 22,627 11,707 34,334 25,134 10,925 36,059 
			
			 Durham   
			 Durham 165,556 134,413 299,969 200,732 132,318 333,050 
			 Chester-le-Street 1,433 2,427 3,860 2,363 1,873 4,235 
			 Derwentside 2,902 3,665 6,567 4,196 2,972 7,168 
			 Durham City 2,785 3,869 6,654 3,913 3,064 6,976 
			 Easington 5,184 3,870 9,054 6,635 3,279 9,913 
			 Sedgefleld 3,566 3,754 7,320 4,693 3,043 7,736 
			 Teesdale 831 1,081 1,912 1,245 853 2,099 
			 Wear Valley 3,049 2,607 5,656 3,875 2,141 6,016 
			 Durham Police Authority(18) 18,679 15,111 33,790 26,327 8,444 34,770 
			 Darlington Unitary Authority(18) 35,678 30,950 66,628 44,640 29,650 74,290 
			
			 Northumberland(17)   
			 Northumberland 93,484 82,433 175,917 109,565 82,387 191,953 
			 Alnwick 1,263 1,333 2,596 1,544 1,085 2,628 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 1,333 1,105 2,437 1,549 906 2,455 
			 Blyth Valley 3,024 3,393 6,416 4,177 2,838 7,015 
			 Castle Morpeth 881 2,141 3,023 1,360 1,710 3,069 
			 Tynedale 1,461 2,481 3,942 2,263 2,054 4,317 
			 Wansbeck 3,002 2,593 5,596 3,954 2,133 6,086 
			
			 Northumbria Police Authority 55,804 35,218 91,022 71,038 19,751 90,789 
		
	
	(17) Northumbria Police Authority covers the areas of both Tyne and Wear and Northumberland County Council.
	(18) Durham Police Authority covers the areas of both Darlington Unitary Authority and Durham County Council.

Revenue Support Grant (Worcester)

Michael Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what the total revenue grant from all sources allocated to Worcester city council was in each year since 1992;
	(2)  what the percentage cash charge in revenue support grants allocated to Worcester city council was in each year since 1992.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is in the table. Figures are not consistent between years because of changes in function.
	
		
			  Total ring-fenced grants inside AEF(19) (£000) % change Revenue support grant (£000) % change Redistributed national non-domestic rates (£000) % change Total (£000) % change 
		
		
			 1992–93 179 — — — — — — — 
			 1993–94 192 7.3 2,576 (20)— 2,942 (20)— 5,710 (20)— 
			 1994–95 221 15.1 3,292 27.8 2,772 -5.8 6,285 10.1 
			 1995–96 235 6.3 3,105 -5.7 2,931 5.7 6,271 -0.2 
			 1996–97 232 -1.3 2,933 -5.5 3,164 7.9 6,329 0.9 
			 1997–98 206 -11.2 3,089 5.3 2,891 -8.6 6,186 -2.3 
			 1998–99 208 1.0 3,427 10.9 2,960 2.4 6,595 6.6 
			 1999–2000 209 0.5 3,265 -4.7 3,212 8.5 6,686 1.4 
			 2000–01 197 -5.7 3,094 -5.2 3,629 13.0 6,920 3.5 
			 2001–02 205 4.1 3,345 8.1 3,580 -1.3 7,130 3.0 
			 2002–03 207 1.0 3,056 -8.6 4,032 12.6 7,295 2.3 
			 2003–04 438 111.6 3,889 27.3 3,258 -19.2 7,585 4.0 
		
	
	(19) Aggregate External Finance.
	(20) Not available.
	Note:
	In 1992–93, revenue support grant and redistributed national non-domestic rates paid to district councils included a share of the amounts that were payable to the county council for the area, and separate amounts attributable to each district council were not separately identified. Figures for Worcester city council are not therefore available for 1992–93.

Right to Buy

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to publish the review of the system for valuing properties for Right to Buy purposes undertaken by the College of Estate Management.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects to publish the report of this review in January 2004.

Right to Buy

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his response to the report of the Select Committee on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the draft Housing Bill, what assessment he has made of extending the Right to Buy discount repayment period to more than five years.

Keith Hill: I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the answer given on 30 June 2003, Official Report, column 116–17W. The Government are committed to the principle of the Right to Buy scheme, and do not wish to penalise tenants disproportionately.

Right to Buy

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the reports his Department and its predecessors have commissioned since 1979 on valuations for properties bought under the Right to Buy.

Keith Hill: In March 2002, the former Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions commissioned the College of Estate Management to review the system for valuing properties for Right to Buy purposes. It is expected that the review report will be published in January 2004. No other reports have been commissioned on this topic since 1979.

Right to Buy

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many right to buy applications there were each month since June 1997, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) region.

Keith Hill: The number of right to buy applications in each region are tabled as follows. These are only available on a quarterly basis. Information by local authority is not readily available. Tables providing right to buy sales figures as reported by local authorities are available in the Library of the House.
	
		
			   North east North west Yorkshire and Humber East Midlands 
		
		
			 1997 Q2 2,141 2,901 3,025 2,411 
			  Q3 1,424 2,596 2,198 1,553 
			  Q4 1,075 1,560 1,481 1,277 
			 1998 Q1 1,617 2,137 2,111 1,929 
			  Q2 1,506 2,096 2,255 1,694 
			  Q3 1,429 2,305 2,003 1,837 
			  Q4 1,276 2,161 2,563 1,550 
			 1999 Q1 3,121 3,691 4,108 3,175 
			  Q2 2,056 2,627 2,729 2,008 
			  Q3 1,974 2,804 2,693 2,327 
			  Q4 1,551 1,949 1,714 1,712 
			 2000 Q1 2,333 2,928 3,023 2,330 
			  Q2 2,114 2,922 3,122 2,158 
			  Q3 1,811 2,733 3,208 2,213 
			  Q4 1,478 2,089 2,072 1,625 
			 2001 Q1 2,373 3,250 3,837 2,628 
			  Q2 1,784 3,056 3,996 2,493 
			  Q3 1,592 3,435 3,876 2,603 
			  Q4 1,584 2,542 3,189 2,011 
			 2002 Q1 2,852 3,895 4,726 3,043 
			  Q2 2,994 4,520 5,479 3,556 
			  Q3 3,631 5,089 6,492 3,695 
			  Q4 3,031 4,789 5,601 3,457 
			 2003 Q1 4,189 6,278 9,251 4,686 
		
	
	
		
			   West Midlands East London South east South west 
		
		
			 1997 Q2 3,511 3,208 5,057 2,837 2,408 
			  Q3 2,602 1,971 4,160 2,096 1,655 
			  Q4 2,082 1,440 3,520 1,361 1,137 
			 1998 Q1 2,637 2,131 4,082 1,955 1,643 
			  Q2 2,695 2,019 4,180 2,032 1,575 
			  Q3 2,800 2,189 4,501 2,142 1,410 
			  Q4 2,404 1,978 5,562 1,933 1,575 
			 1999 Q1 5,206 4,932 11,737 4,074 3,016 
			  Q2 3,016 2,556 5,007 2,483 1,671 
			  Q3 3,138 2,813 5,515 2,495 1,686 
			  Q4 2,509 1,858 4,447 2,122 1,214 
			 2000 Q1 3,478 3,218 5,803 2,509 1,786 
			  Q2 3,238 2,535 6,434 2,055 1,714 
			  Q3 2,964 2,345 5,290 1,986 1,484 
			  Q4 2,496 1,727 4,460 1,371 967 
			 2001 Q1 3,420 2,772 5,983 2,204 1,583 
			  Q2 3,285 3,049 6,329 2,246 1,584 
			  Q3 3,124 2,761 6,120 2,115 1,372 
			  Q4 3,494 2,019 4,809 1,487 1,207 
			 2002 Q1 5,127 3,066 7,875 2,522 1,693 
			  Q2 4,516 3,083 7,565 2,532 1,785 
			  Q3 5,086 3,715 11,422 3,184 2,170 
			  Q4 4,786 2,711 9,090 2,742 1,558 
			 2003 Q1 6,633 4,404 29,559 3,774 2,178

Sheltered Accommodation

Nigel Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many sheltered accommodation centres (a) have and (b) do not have resident wardens; and if he will make a statement on the trends regarding resident wardens over the last 10 years.

Keith Hill: Figures are not available showing how many sheltered accommodation centres have and do not have resident wardens, and on the trends regarding resident wardens over the last 10 years. As part of their on-going assessment of local needs and review of housing-related support services as part of the Supporting People programme, local authorities are examining the amount of sheltered accommodation and housing-related support provided in that accommodation and, for the first time, will be able to gradually build up an indication of longer term trends.

Sheltered Accommodation

Nigel Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make an assessment of the (a) advantages and (b) disadvantages, including financial considerations, of requiring resident wardens in all sheltered accommodation centres.

Keith Hill: The Government are committed to ensuring that all vulnerable members of the community receive the housing-related support they need including, where appropriate, warden services in sheltered accommodation, to help them live as independently as possible. To help bring this about, the Supporting People programme provides an integrated framework for planning and funding housing-related support services. Under Supporting People, local authorities will review all housing-related support services, examining their quality, performance and cost-effectiveness. In the case of sheltered housing, we would expect these reviews to consider the advantages and disadvantages of the way in which warden services are provided.

Somali Community (Housing)

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what research he has collated on the treatment of the Somali community in relation to housing.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not carried out any research on this subject. A report on "Somali housing experiences in England" by researchers at Sheffield Hallam university carried out with the support of the Housing Corporation was published earlier this year.

Somali Community (Housing)

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 11 July 2003, Official Report, columns 1062–63W, on housing (black minority ethnic communities), if he will commission research into the housing needs of the Somali community; and whether a decision has been made on taking forward the recommendation on commissioning research on the housing and neighbourhood experiences of black and minority ethnic children.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans in place to commission research into the housing needs of the Somali community or to collect further data on the housing and neighbourhood experiences of black and minority ethnic children.

Somali Community (Housing)

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what research policy decisions on the housing needs of the Somali community are based.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not responsible for making policy decisions about the housing needs of specific groups. Local authorities are responsible for formulating Housing Strategy Statements for their areas. These should be based on the best local evidence available. They are required to take into account the needs of particular sections of the community including Black and Minority ethnic populations. Guidance was published in 2000, "Local Housing Needs Assessment: A Guide to Good Practice" and "Black and Minority Ethnic Housing Strategies: A Good Practice Guide".

Somali Community (Housing)

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the housing needs of the Somali community.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not responsible for assessing the housing needs of specific groups. Local authorities are responsible for formulating Housing Strategy Statements for their areas. These should be based on the best local evidence available. They are required to take into account the needs of particular sections of the community including Black and Minority ethnic populations. Guidance was published in 2000, "Local Housing Needs Assessment: A Guide to Good Practice" and "Black and Minority Ethnic Housing Strategies: A Good Practice Guide".

Sound Insulation

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will include in the decent homes standard the provision of sound insulation in domestic properties (a) constructed and (b) converted into flats and apartments.

Keith Hill: The issue of noise insulation is already dealt with in the decent home standard. For a property to be considered decent it must meet four criteria one of which is the provision of reasonably modern facilities and services. A property fails to meet this criterion if it lacks three or more of a list of six facilities, one of which is 'adequate noise insulation'.
	The guidance on implementing the standard concentrates on insulation from external airborne noise, such as traffic or factory noise. It has this focus because it can be difficult to assess the extent to which domestic noise nuisance is caused by problems with the building itself (either because of its construction or inadequate internal insulation) or by unreasonable activity or behaviour of neighbours or by acute noise sensitivity by the occupant of the home affected.
	The Decent Homes Standard applies to all social housing, including purpose built and converted apartments.

Voluntary Bodies (Wolverhampton)

Ken Purchase: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the voluntary bodies in Wolverhampton in receipt of direct government grant, broken down by (a) capital and (b) revenue.

Nick Raynsford: My hon. Friend will be aware that there are in excess of 700 voluntary and community sector organisations in Wolverhampton. They will be attracting funding from a very wide range of government and European funding programmes including SRB, Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, Community Empowerment Fund, ERDF and ESF programmes, New Deal for Communities, Learning and Skills Council and Lotteries funding regimes to name some. There is no single database of organisations and their funding sources, so it is impossible to provide the level of detail required by the question.
	A list of organisations funded through the Community Empowerment Network can be obtained from Wolverhampton Network Consortium and the City Council's Voluntary Sector Unit can provide details of the voluntary and community organisations they support via a co-ordinated small grants programme which has sought to simplify the funding process for eight specific small grants initiatives for the voluntary and community sector.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Acceptable Behaviour Contracts

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he collates on the use of acceptable behaviour contracts; in what form; how many local authorities do not use acceptable behaviour contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Research conducted in April 2002 showed that there were 173 Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC) schemes running in England and Wales, with 1,868 contracts signed. A Home Office Research Development and Statistics publication on the evaluation of an ABC scheme in the London borough of Islington is forthcoming.
	The Home Office does not routinely collect statistics on the use or otherwise of ABCs. ABC schemes are voluntary and developed by a range of agencies whose role it is to prevent such behaviour.

Airwave

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates he estimates that the Airwave communications system will be fully operational in each police force area.

Hazel Blears: In England and Wales Airwave is already fully operational in the following forces: Cambridgeshire, Humberside, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Greater Manchester, Northumbria, North Yorkshire, Suffolk and West Mercia.
	Estimated dates for the other forces in England and Wales to become fully operational are given in the table.
	Rollout of Airwave in Scotland will follow after England and Wales.
	
		
			 Airwave operational date Force 
		
		
			 Q4 2003 Bedford 
			   Derbyshire 
			 Q1 2004 Hertfordshire 
			   Lincolnshire 
			 Q2 2004 Avon & Somerset 
			   Dorset 
			   Durham 
			   Essex 
			   Gloucestershire 
			   South Wales 
			   Wiltshire 
			 Q3 2004 Cheshire 
			   City of London 
			   Cleveland 
			   Gwent 
			   Nottinghamshire 
			   South Yorkshire 
			   Surrey 
			   Sussex 
			   Thames Valley 
			 Q4 2004 Merseyside 
			   Northamptonshire 
			   Warwickshire 
			   West Midlands 
			 Q1 2005 Norfolk 
			 Q2 2005 West Yorkshire 
			 Q3 2005 Cumbria 
			   Staffordshire 
			 Q4 2005 Kent 
			   Metropolitan 
			   Devon and Cornwall 
			  Not yet available Dyfed Powys 
			   Hampshire 
			   North Wales

Airwave

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent to date on the Airwave communications system, broken down by police force area.

Hazel Blears: It is estimated that the Airwave service contract for the provision of the police service's new digital radio communication service will cost £2.3 billion (at 1999 prices) over the 22-year lifetime of the project. In addition, forces have to procure radio terminals and to modernise control rooms. Funding is provided centrally by the Home Office and locally by police authorities.
	To date, the Home Office has provided a total of £336.4 million to police forces in England and Wales for Airwave. The break-down by police force area is given in the table.
	
		Home Office spend on airwave to date broken down by police force area
		
			 Force £ million 
		
		
			 Avon & Somerset 8.9 
			 Bedfordshire 3.2 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,4 
			 Cheshire 4.2 
			 City of London 2.2 
			 Cleveland 3.9 
			 Cumbria 2.3 
			 Derbyshire 5.7 
			 Devon & Cornwall 6.7 
			 Dorset 3.2 
			 Durham 3.9 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1.4 
			 Essex Police 6.9 
			 Gloucestershire 3.1 
			 Greater Manchester 31.6 
			 Gwent 3.0 
			 Hampshire 7.6 
			 Hertfordshire 4.9 
			 Humberside 6.3 
			 Kent 7.2 
			 Lancashire 14.5 
			 Leicestershire 8.1 
			 Lincolnshire 3.3 
			 Merseyside 11.2 
			 Nottinghamshire 6.8 
			 Norfolk 3.2 
			 Northamptonshire 2.5 
			 North Yorkshire 3.5 
			 North Wales 2.9 
			 Northumbria 11.8 
			 South Wales 7.8 
			 South Yorkshire 8.3 
			 Staffordshire 4.4 
			 Suffolk 5.4 
			 Surrey 4.7 
			 Sussex 6.4 
			 Thames Valley 10.8 
			 Warwickshire 2.0 
			 West Mercia 8.6 
			 West Midlands 14.7 
			 West Yorkshire 11.1 
			 Wiltshire 2.9 
			 Metropolitan Police 60.9 
			 TOTAL 336.4

Alcohol-related Offences

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the proportion of offences related to the misuse of alcohol, broken down by offence category, in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: Questions in the British Crime Survey (BCS) ask victims of assault whether they think the perpetrator of the offence was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident or not.
	Data are available from the 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2001–02 sweeps of the BCS. These are as follows:
	
		Proportion of violent incidents that were alcohol related
		
			  1996 1998 2000 2001–02 
		
		
			 Domestic 32 33 44 45 
			 Acquaintance 45 44 36 51 
			 Stranger 55 57 53 58 
			 Mugging 17 15 17 19 
			 All violence 41 41 40 47 
		
	
	The question of whether the perpetrator was under the influence of alcohol or not was not asked of other offences, as this question can only be asked when there is contact with the perpetrator.

Alcohol-related Offences

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost of alcohol-related crime in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: As part of their work on developing an Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England, the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit published an Interim Analytical Report on 19 September 2003. This report indicated that the annual estimated costs of alcohol-related crime and public disorder were up to £7.3 billion. These estimates were prepared using specially commissioned research by the Strategy Unit. No previous estimates of the costs of alcohol-related crime have been made.

Animal Testing

Bill Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many laboratory animals were used in the United Kingdom for the potency testing of batches of botulinum toxin for cosmetic purposes in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement on Government policy on animal tests for cosmetic products.

Caroline Flint: Botulinum toxin is not a cosmetic for the purposes of the EU Cosmetics Directive, and no animals have been used to test this material for marketing as a cosmetic in the United Kingdom. It is, however, produced, tested on animals and marketed for clinical use as a prescription only medicine.
	The Government, the cosmetic manufacturers and the contract research organisations agreed a voluntary ban on the animal testing of all cosmetics (based upon the EU definition) in November 1997. This voluntary ban applied both to cosmetic ingredients and finished products.
	We are committed to putting an end to testing cosmetics on animals across Europe and have led the way and worked hard for many years to try to achieve that. The Government have strongly supported the 7th Amendment on the Cosmetics Directive which was approved by the European Parliament in Plenary on 15 January and by the Council on 27 January 2003. The adopted text extends what has been almost solely a UK ban on testing cosmetic products and ingredients to cover animals throughout the EU.
	An animal testing ban on finished products will be introduced immediately after the Directive enters force in 2005, followed by an animal testing ban on ingredients in 2006. The Government welcomes the introduction of an EU wide testing ban as an important and positive step to achieving real improvements in animal welfare standards across the European Community.
	The 7th Amendment will also, in due course, introduce a marketing ban. This will mean that cosmetics cannot be marketed in the EU if animal tests have been carried out on either the finished product, or an ingredient or combination of ingredients, once an alternative to that test has been accepted and published by the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM), and not at all after 2009. This ban will apply regardless of whether or not the animal testing took place in the EU. There will be very limited exceptions to the 2009 deadline. The Department of Trade and Industry leads on policy in this area.
	Through our contributions to the European Union, we support the work of ECVAM, whose role is to co-ordinate the independent evaluation of the relevance and reliability of tests and validation studies, so that cosmetics products, as well as medicines, vaccines, other biologicals, medical devices, household products and agricultural products, can be manufactured, transported and used more economically and more safety whilst the current reliance on animal test procedures is progressively reduced.
	We also support the Test Guidelines Programme of the Organisation of Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD) which should enable alternative methods to be accepted internationally and with minimum delay.

Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to facilitate the trial in normal criminal courts of those detained under section 4 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.

David Blunkett: The Secretary of State will only certify and detain an individual under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act, (ATCS) part 4 powers, once he is satisfied that criminal charges cannot be brought. This does not preclude the bringing of criminal charges at a later stage, should further evidence come to light. It is not always possible to bring criminal prosecutions. Some types of evidence cannot safely be disclosed in criminal proceedings without putting others at risk and other types of evidence (e.g. intercept evidence) are not permissible in UK criminal courts. This point was extensively debated before Parliament passed the ATCS Act 2001.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders in Gloucestershire have (a) received and (b) breached anti-social behaviour orders since their inception; and if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of ASBOs.

Hazel Blears: The number of notifications received by the Home Office of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) issued in Gloucestershire from 1 April 1999 (commencement) up to 30 June 2003 (latest available) is seven.
	The available information relating to breaches of ASBOs, covers the period 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2001 and shows that of the four ASBOs made, one was breached in Gloucestershire during this time.

Arson

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's strategy is on arson and catching arsonists.

Hazel Blears: We are fully committed to tackling arson through the achievement of our Public Service Agreement target to reduce crime and the fear of crime and through our continued engagement in the work of the Arson Control Forum. We have also recognised the important contribution of the fire service to multi-agency working. From 1 April 2003, all fire authorities are statutory partners in local crime and disorder reduction partnerships, which will help ensure that the fire services play a full role in community safety and raise local ability to tackle arson and the associated areas of crime.

Arson

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase resources to police forces in order to tackle arson.

Hazel Blears: Provision for policing supported by the Government has increased by 25 per cent. since 2000–01. Allocation of resources locally between various activities is a matter for each police authority and its chief officer of police. Decisions will take account of local pressures and concerns.

Asylum Application

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision will be taken on the asylum application lodged on 8 June 1998 by Mr. Mohamed Aweis Yusuf, Home Office reference M685182; when the hon. Member for Ilford, South will receive responses to the letters sent to the Minister of State on (a) 16 October 2002 and (b) 1 May 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 11 November 2003
	I wrote to my hon. Friend on 17 November.

Asylum Seekers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he plans to take to amend his Department's policies in relation to (a) the detention of children in removal centres and (b) the education of those children in local schools.

Beverley Hughes: We have no plans to amend our policy in relation to the detention of families with children in removal centres. Children will continue to be detained as members of family groups as it would clearly not be in the interests of children to separate them from their parents. The vast majority of families with children are detained for a short time, most for only a few days immediately prior to removal. Removal centres that may hold families with children for anything more than a few days are required to have arrangements in place to provide educational classes to the children concerned. At present, this relates only to Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre and Oakington Reception Centre. The education provision at Dungavel is well established. The position at Oakington is different in that the need for educational provision has arisen only comparatively recently and is in the process of being put in place. We have no plans to change the overall arrangements for the provision of educational classes or to place the children concerned in local schools.

Asylum Seekers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that asylum seekers are integrated into the community.

Beverley Hughes: The full integration into British society of asylum seekers awaiting decisions on their claims is neither achievable nor desirable. Asylum seekers are for example, generally not permitted to take up employment. We are working to speed up the decision-making process so that their status is resolved more quickly. Nonetheless the Government is fully committed to ensuring that asylum seekers who make their claims in accordance with the law are enabled to live in decent conditions and gain access to essential services, including education for their children, and that they may live in this country without fear of harassment. We also seek to encourage asylum seekers to contribute through volunteering to the communities in which they live.
	In order to promote these ends, the regional management of the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) maintains regular contact with all the relevant statutory and voluntary services in the areas to which asylum seekers are dispersed. NASS holds regular meetings to ensure that issues relating to the local integration of asylum seekers are raised and, where possible, resolved locally. Regional management will be representing NASS and asylum issues in all matters relating to community cohesion. We are also gradually developing our police liaison and intelligence capabilities to help provide safe and secure communities where asylum seekers are dispersed.

Childhood Obesity

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with other departments about implementing a strategy to tackle childhood obesity.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office participates in the Activity Co-ordination Team led jointly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Health which takes forward work on increasing participation in sport and physical activity, primarily in recognition of the significant health benefits.
	This is of direct relevance to the prevention and management of childhood obesity.

Childhood Obesity

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has commissioned on the effect on children's criminal behaviour of (a) poor nutrition and (b) childhood obesity.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office is not currently conducting any specific research into the effects that poor nutrition and obesity have on children's criminal behaviour.
	There is extensive research on the risk factors which can have an influence on children and young people becoming criminally active. These factors include deprivation and poverty which can of course lead to poor nutrition, and poor diet and lack of opportunity for physical exercise which can contribute to obesity.
	The Government's programme to tackle youth crime includes a specific focus on addressing risk factors through the work with families, in neighbourhoods to tackle deprivation, and with education services to improve standards and behaviour and reduce truancy and exclusions.

Class A Drugs

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what percentage of those brought into a police station tested positively for Class A drugs in 2002; and what the level of voluntary take-up of treatment was;
	(2)  what percentage of those brought into a police station tested positive for Class A drugs in the last six months for which figures are available; and what the level of voluntary take-up for treatment was for those people.

Caroline Flint: It is not possible to provide a national figure for the percentage of individuals testing positive for Class A drugs, nor do we have recent data available for positive tests at arrest. However, the percentage of individuals testing positive at charge for cocaine and/or opiates at each of nine pilot sites is shown in the table.
	The data have been taken from Home Office Findings 180 "Evaluation of drug testing in the criminal justice system in nine pilot areas". This is available on the RDS website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/r180.pdf and in the House Library.
	
		Police on charge drug test results for cocaine and/or opiates: cumulative to 31 October 2002
		
			 Pilot site Start date of pilot Testing positive for Cocaine and/or opiates (Percentage) 
		
		
			 Stafford and Cannock July 2001 45 
			 Hackney September 2001 66 
			 Nottingham September 2001 58 
			 Bedford August 2002 54 
			 Blackpool June 2002 44 
			 Doncaster June 2002 63 
			 Torquay July 2002 36 
			 Wirral July 2002 58 
			 Wrexham and Mold August 2002 56 
		
	
	Source
	Home Office Findings 180 "Evaluation of drug testing in the criminal justice system in nine pilot areas".
	The Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 gave the police power to drug test arrestees once they are charged with a "trigger offence" (these include property crime, robbery and specified Class A drug offences).
	Data on the level of voluntary uptake for treatment by detainees testing positive for Class A drugs has yet to become available from this study. As the evaluation continues information will be collected as detainees/offenders move from one part of the criminal justice system to another, and into treatment.

Communications Masts

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 21 October, Official Report, column 543W, on communication masts, what plans he has to commission further research recommended in the National Radiological Protection Board report into mechanisms that might transform TETRA energy bursts occurring 17.6 times a second into a current which interferes with biological functions.

Hazel Blears: There is no known mechanism by which the biological functions of the human body could react to radio signals, and the National Radiological Protection Board's independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation recommended further research on this topic. A study on possible non-linear mechanisms is under consideration as part of the adjunct Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research TETRA programme funded by the Home Office.

Communications Masts

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 21 October, Official Report, column. 543W, on communications masts, what the conclusions were of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory study regarding (a) calcium efflux, (b) brain slice electrophysiology and (c) epileptiform activity.

Hazel Blears: The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) work on calcium efflux is complete and shows that TETRA has no effect on calcium exchanges in cells. The work on brain slice electrophysiology and epileptiform activity is still underway. The electrophysiology results are not yet fully analysed. Initial results show no effects of TETRA on epileptiform behaviour.

Community Punishment Orders

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours per week the average offender sentenced to a community punishment order spends engaged in purposeful activity, broken down by probation area.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not currently collected.

Community Support Officers

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been detained by a community support officer; and in how many cases a police officer took charge of the detainee within half an hour of detention.

Hazel Blears: At present, six police forces are piloting the power of detention, which was given to community support officers by the Police Reform Act 2002. The forces are the Metropolitan Police Service, West Yorkshire Police, Gwent Police, Lancashire Constabulary, Northamptonshire Police, and Devon and Cornwall Constabulary.
	As part of ongoing evaluation, when they use their detention powers community support officers in the relevant forces complete questionnaires which are then forwarded to the Home Office for monitoring purposes. The information currently available indicates that:
	To date the Home Office has received 161 questionnaires. This does not necessarily represent 161 separate detentions, as it is possible that two community support officers may have been involved in the same incident.
	Subsequent evaluation indicates that police officers have arrived within 30 minutes in 98.8 per cent. of cases and that there have been only two incidents where the time limit has not been met.
	These questionnaires are still being completed in each force and evaluation of the results is an on-going process. This work is being undertaken jointly by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and with the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate.

Computer Games Companies

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the contracts his Department has awarded to computer games companies, broken down by (a) company to which the contract was awarded, (b) the date and cost of the contract and (c) the purpose of the contract; what has been delivered to date from each contract; what remains to be delivered; what each game seeks to achieve; and what assessment he has made of their effectiveness in meeting these aims.

Fiona Mactaggart: No contracts have been awarded to computer games companies.
	Note:
	The answer includes the Home Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Consultants

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many projects his Department has contracted out to external consultancies in each year since 1997; and at what cost.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information by project is not held centrally for the Home Department and is not available in the format requested. To provide a complete answer in the time available will incur disproportionate costs.
	A similar question was asked earlier this year about spend on consultancy. I therefore refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 January, Official Report, column 913W.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will meet the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton to discuss the letter to him dated 9 September, with regard to Mrs. S. Ahmed.

David Blunkett: I responded to my right hon. Friend in a letter on 13 November 2003. A meeting would serve no useful purpose as there is nothing more I can add to that letter.

Publicity Campaigns

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost to his Department was of (a) the Good to be Secure website, (b) the Don't let them bag your booty publicity campaign, (c) the Danny Timpson's Kebabathon computer game and (d) the Bargain Boost computer games; and whether Mr. David Dickinson received a fee for his involvement in the initiative.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office is committed to reducing crime and we implement several campaigns to reduce the risk for the public.
	Burglary is a high volume crime. It is a crime that causes fear and concern. Campaigns which help reduce risk and fear is therefore a priority for us. There are several groups who are particularly at risk—the elderly, students, home movers, and holidaymakers.
	The campaigns we run are designed to reassure people and reduce their risk by offering them simple, practical advice on burglary prevention.
	The students' campaign is one of those key campaigns.
	The costs involved in the specific activities (including development costs) the hon. Gentleman mentioned were:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 The 'good to be secure' web site 19,470 
			 The 'Don't let them bag your booty' publicity campaign including the 'Bargain bost' computer games 80,000 
			 The 'Danny Timpson's Kebabathon' computer game 12,000 
			 David Dickinson did receive a fee for his involvement in this initiative 10,000 
			 Total 121,470

Departmental Expenditure (Official Residences)

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Department spent on (a) maintenance, (b) renovation, (c) council tax and (d) running costs of residential properties used by Ministers and officials in each year since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office leases one property, acquired for security reasons, as the London residence of the Home Secretary of the day. A major programme of cyclical refurbishment—the first for some years—was completed in late spring 2002. This was needed to maintain the repair and value of the property and to deal with the impact of substantial flood and storm damage.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) on 1 July 2002, Official Report, column 176W.
	1. Home Secretary's residence
	The figures are as follows:
	
		
			  Maintenance Renovation Council tax Running costs/utilities Capital charge/depreciation/cost of capital 
		
		
			 1997–98 2,581 0 304 3,189 77,995 
			 1998–99 14,849 0 325 3,875 84,863 
			 1999–2000 2,055 0 350 3,993 104,615 
			 2000–01 6,457 0 375 2,268 120,702 
			 2001–02 1,386 (21)72,340 410 2,110 112,345 
			 2002–03 (22)37,338 27,440 445 5,306 122,199 
		
	
	(21) Works carried out in 2001–02 were paid in 2002–03 when invoice was submitted
	(22) Includes roof works of £12,342
	Not included above is rent at £7,100 per annum and costs of security measures. Capital Charge and depreciation are related to the book value of the lease which was revalued in 2001.
	2. Officials
	Only in exceptional circumstances does my Department provide accommodation for officials other than seconded police officers. At present these are limited to three seconded junior staff carrying out duties which requires them to be located in Central London. The Prison Service also provides its staff including Governor grades with a limited number of married quarters

Excel Exhibition Centre Protesters

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Answer to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd) of 16 September 2003, Official Report, column 662W, whether he has received the Metropolitan Police report; whether he intends to publish it; and if he will make a statement on the use of anti-terrorism legislation against the protesters at the Excel Exhibition Centre in London on 9 September.

Fiona Mactaggart: I received an interim report from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 18 September and a final report on 15 October. The report shows that what happened during the policing of the Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEi) arms fair has not been routinely replicated across the force area from the time that the Terrorism Act 2000 came into force.
	I welcome the steps that have been already been taken to deal with concerns at force level about the use of this power and the enhanced guidance and training that will be given to officers from this point on. I have also agreed with the MPS that we continue to be vigilant and ensure that these powers are deployed correctly.

Drug Offences

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested for drug offences in (a) Tyne and Wear, (b) the North East and (c) the UK in each year since 1997.

Caroline Flint: Information on the number of persons arrested for notifiable offences is collected at police force area level only. Available data on the number of persons arrested for drugs offences within Northumbria police force area and the North East region are given in the table for the years 1999–2000 to 2001–02. Information for earlier years is not available on a consistent basis. Statistics for 2002–03 will be available later this year.
	Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly respectively.
	
		Number of persons arrested for drug offences in Northumbria police force area, the North East region and England and Wales
		
			  Northumbria police force area North East region(23) England and Wales 
		
		
			 1999–2000 4,719 (24)8,300 (24)121,200 
			 2000–01 4,831 (24)8,000 (24)111,300 
			 2001–02 5,473 (24)9,300 (24)116,600 
		
	
	(23) North East region comprises of Northumbria, Durham and Cleveland police force areas.
	(24) Estimated. Durham data not supplied.

Identity Cards

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the costs involved in introducing a mandatory national identity card scheme in the UK.

Beverley Hughes: My right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary announced on 11 November that the Government has decided to begin the process of introducing a national identity cards scheme following the consultation paper published in July 2002.
	The Government are determined to ensure that the development of a national identity cards scheme is managed to the highest standards, and that the major business change and IT challenges which we face are dealt with effectively. A Programme Board is being established chaired by the Home Office to co-ordinate and drive forward the different elements of the Government strategy. Progress at every stage will be monitored and reviewed as further decisions are taken during the implementation. Before decisions are taken on implementation, there will be an intensive phase of feasibility assessment and prototyping so that decision making is soundly based and risks in the programme are kept to a minimum.
	Once the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has confirmed that the programme is ready to proceed, by means of an OGC Gateway Zero review, we will publish draft legislation to enable the scheme to be introduced.
	Set up costs for the first three years have been estimated at £36, £60 and £90 million. Costs thereafter will be covered by charges. Under the proposed scheme, we estimate that a 10 year plain identity card would cost most people approximately £35. The enhanced fee for a combined passport—identity card would be £77and a combined driving licence—identity card would be £73.
	The proposed charging schedule would fund free cards for all 16 year olds and a reduced charge of £10 for those on low incomes. We are looking at how those who have been in retirement for some time could obtain a lifelong card, requiring no further payment and are also looking at whether plain identity cards could be paid for by instalments.
	For very frail and elderly citizens it would be possible to issue a non-biometric card (for instance those with severe learning disabilities who are in residential care or those over 80).
	People who held both a passport and a driving licence would only pay the additional charge for one document. This is because the charge covers the cost of establishing a more secure identity including recording the biometric information which only needs to happen once.
	We will continue to work with potential suppliers and partners to ensure estimates are accurate, realistic and deliverable.

Identity Cards

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his oral statement on identity cards of 11 November 2003, Official Report, column 176, what was the basis for his estimate of savings to be made in benefit and related systems from introducing an ID card was.

Beverley Hughes: The Department for Work and Pensions estimates that the level of identity fraud in the benefit system is between £20 million and £50 million per annum. A national identity cards scheme would reduce this once cards were widely held. It could also help to streamline the process of allocating National Insurance numbers, though there are no plans in the first stage of the scheme to require the possession of a card in order to obtain a National Insurance number.

Identity Cards

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from (a) police authorities and (b) other interested parties on the introduction of identity cards, with particular reference to the effect on under-age drinking; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: "Identity Cards—A Summary of Findings from the Consultation Exercise on Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud" (CM 6019) was published on 11 November 2003 and gives a summary of the comments received from organisations and from the public on identity cards.
	It records (at page 111) that police organisations considered that an identity card scheme would assist licensees to control the sale of age related products and (at page 39) that 6 per cent. of members of the public who were surveyed and were in favour of identity cards gave "to stop under-age drinking" as a reason.

Immigration Appeals

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the use in special immigration appeals committees of evidence obtained through torture in a foreign country.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 17 November 2003
	The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) has adopted the common law approach to evidence which may have been obtained elsewhere through the use of torture—save for evidence that is obtained from a party (usually the defendant in a criminal trial), all evidence is admissible, however unlawfully obtained. However, where that evidence may have been obtained by torture, this will bear on the proper weight to be given to the information. The means by which information is obtained therefore goes to its reliability and weight and not to its admissibility.
	While we do not condone torture, we do have an obligation to protect national security and public safety and we would be deficient in this duty if we did not properly assess all information involved in association with the war on terror.

IT Equipment

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on purchasing and upgrading IT equipment in each of his Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested, which was provided to the hon. Gentleman on 30 October 2003 in response to UIN 135895, is as follows: Core Home Office:
	Notes: 1. The figures are expenditure incurred by the Home Department 2. The figures exclude expenditure from the Department's Outsourced Managed Service Contracts for the provision of IT infrastructure services, where the assets have not transferred to the public sector.
	
		
			 FinancialYear (FY) Time Period Totals (£) 
		
		
			 Part FY 01 January 2002–31 March 2002 36,464,010 
			 Full FY 01 April 2002–31 March 2003 13,017,585 
			 Part FY 01 April 2003–30 September 2003 9,127,403 
			   58,608,998 
		
	
	
		National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS)
		
			  Time Period Totals (£) 
		
		
			 Part FY 01 January 2002–31 March 2002 476,629 
			 Full FY 01 April 2002–31 March 2003 1,408,661 
			 Part FY 01 April 2003–30 September 2003 356,039 
			   2,241,329 
		
	
	NCIS Note
	1. The period January 2002 to March 2002 includes the start of a major project to upgrade infrastructure and desktops to Windows 2000 (excludes laptops).
	2. April 2002 to March 2003 includes the completion of the rollout of Windows 2000 and the acquisition of an electronic email archive.
	3. April 2003 to September 2003 includes equipment to meet Business Continuity requirements.
	
		Criminal Records Bureau
		
			  Time Period Totals (£) 
		
		
			 Part FY 01 January 2002–31 March 2002 4,000 
			 Full FY 01 April 2002–31 March 2003 251,000 
			 Part FY 01 April 2003–30 September 2003 176,000 
			   431,000 
		
	
	
		United Kingdom Passport Service:
		
			  Time Period Totals (£) 
		
		
			 Part FY 01 January 2002–31 March 2002 32,117 
			 Full FY 01 April 2002–31 March 2003 671,639 
			 Part FY 01 April 2003–30 September 2003 103,164 
			   806,920 
		
	
	
		Police Information Technology Organisation:
		
			  Time Period Totals (£) 
		
		
			 Part FY 01 January 2002–31 March 2002 136,611 
			 Full FY 01 April 2002–31 March 2003 650,314 
			 Part FY 01 April 2003–30 September 2003 60,980 
			   847,905 
		
	
	
		Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC):
		
			  Time Period Totals (£) 
		
		
			 Part FY 01 January 2002–31 March 2002 N/A 
			 Full FY 01 April 2002–31 March 2003 N/A 
			 Part FY 01 April 2003–30 September 2003 1,540,171 
			   1,540,171 
		
	
	IPCC Note:
	IPCC is a new Agency and as such has no IT expenditure prior to this financial year. All costs for 2003 are connected with the start up operation of the IPCC.
	Asset Recovery Agency (ARA)
	The return for the Asset Recovery Agency is NIL as until very recently, IT was encompassed within a Managed Service Contract for the ARA premises and as such the IT spend element was not transparent.
	Criminal Cases Review Commission
	After six years of operation the Criminal Cases Review Commission is now undertaking a programme of upgrades to software and hardware in line with its Information Systems strategy. This means that expenditure in the periods of the question is higher than would be the case for simply routine operations.
	
		
			  Time Period Totals (£) 
		
		
			 Part FY 01 January 2002–31 March 2002 6,508 
			 Full FY 01 April 2002–31 March 2003 223,480 
			 Part FY 01 April 2003–30 September 2003 58,630 
			   288,618 
		
	
	
		Forensic Science Service:
		
			  Time Period Totals (£) 
		
		
			 Part FY 01 January 2002–31 March 2002 585,000 
			 Full FY 01 April 2002–31 March 2003 3,063,000 
			 Part FY 01 April 2003–30 September 2003 1,942,000 
			   5,590,000 
		
	
	
		Security Industry Authority (SIA)
		
			  Time Period Totals (£) 
		
		
			 Part FY 01 January 2002–31 March 2002 Included in Home Office return 
			 Full FY 01 April 2002–31 March 2003 Included in Home Office return 
			 Part FY 01 April 2003–30 September 2003 16,000 
			   16,000 
		
	
	Note: Security Industry Authority
	The SIA was established 1 April 2003. Prior to this date any IT spend associated with the set up would have been covered within the core Home Office expenditure.

National Asylum Support Service

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date Mr. Digby Griffith was appointed to the team which undertook the independent review of the National Asylum Support Service; on what date he was offered his current position at NASS; and on what date he took up that post.

Beverley Hughes: The independent team established to review the operation of the National Asylum Support Service submitted its report on 30 May 2003.
	Mr. Digby Griffith was appointed as Secretary to the independent NASS Review Team during the first week in March 2003 and took up post on 10 March. Following a national open competition he was offered the post of Head of Accommodation in NASS on 24 April. He took up post on 30 June.

Crime Statistics

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences recorded by the police resulted in no further action being taken in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The percentage rates of offences detected and described as 'No further action', are available from 1997 to 2002–03, and are given in the table.
	
		Detection rates as a percentage of recorded offences, for England and Wales
		
			Percentage of all offencesdetected with 'No further action'taking place: 
			 Year Percentage of offences detected (All methods) Interview of convicted prisoner: (Percentage) Other (Percentage) 
		
		
			 1997(25) 28 4 4 
			 1997–98(26) 28 4 4 
			 1998–99(27) 29 2 5 
			 1999–2000(29) 25 (29)— (28)4 
			 2000–01 24 (29)— (28)4 
			 2001–02(30) 23 (29)— 4 
			 2002–03(30) 24 (29)— 4 
		
	
	(25) Crime-related statistics were published on a calendar year basis until 1997, and on a financial year basis thereafter.
	(26) Excluding offences of 'other criminal damage' of value £20 and under prior to March 1998.
	(27) Percentage detected using the figures derived from the expanded coverage and revised counting rules for recorded crime which came into effect on 1 April 1998, and hence may not be comparable with previous years.
	(28) Estimates based on returns from 42 (of the 43) police
	forces.
	(29) Revised detections guidance was implemented on 1 April 1999, and hence detection rates are not comparable with previous years. The new instructions provide more precise and rigorous criteria for recording a detection, with the underlying emphasis on the successful result of a police investigation. Therefore detections obtained by the interview of a convicted prisoner were no longer collected.
	(30) The National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was implemented by some police forces in advance of it's national implementation on 1 April 2002, and as a result of this, figures are not directly comparable with previous years

MI5

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the undertaking of activities by MI5 which require authorisation by warrant but which have been carried out without such authorisation in place.

David Blunkett: It is the longstanding policy of successive governments neither to confirm nor deny allegations concerning the activities of the Security Service. We have maintained this policy irrespective of the accuracy or inaccuracy of the allegations made. The intelligence and security agencies each operate under a strict statutory framework. The agencies are overseen by Ministers and by independent Commissioners who hold, or have held, high judicial office. There is no question of the agencies, or anyone else, being above the law.

Passports

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports have been lost by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in Liverpool in 2003.

Beverley Hughes: The information is as follows:
	(1) 78 passports have been recorded as lost by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in Liverpool during 2003.
	(2) The incidence of lost passports amounts to 0.04 per cent. set against the number of applications handled. Current processes do not allow the movement of passports to be tracked through each stage of case consideration.
	(3) I have instituted new arrangements to ensure the security and return of passports by IND.

Passports

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what basis he reached his decision to set fees for (a) applications for variation of leave and (b) endorsing passports at the current level.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 6 November 2003
	The fees are calculated under Treasury Rules to recover the full administrative cost entailed in considering applications and no more. This is calculated by taking the overall costs of processing the applications divided by the number of decisions we expect to make.
	The fee is £155 for a postal application and £250 for personal callers who wish to apply at one of the four Public Enquiry Offices. The charges will ensure we are able to meet the cost of providing for the service and will ensure that we are able to meet the higher standards of service we have set for the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.
	Fees were introduced at a time when we were confident that we had in place the service improvements, which were the necessary precursors to charging.
	The principle behind charging is to ensure that those who use the service pay for it rather than the general taxpayer.

Passports

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints he has received in relation to the introduction of fees for (a) applications for variation of leave and (b) endorsing passports.

Beverley Hughes: I have received a number of letters; particularly those representing the education sector such as UKCOSA, Universities UK and various universities to which I have already responded.
	A number of letters, phone calls and emails have also been received from members of the public, including students with regard to both the introduction of charging and the level of the fee. My Officials at Croydon continue to deal with these.
	The charges will ensure we are able to meet the cost of providing for the high service standards-service and will ensure that we are able to meet the tighter performance targets we have set for IND. Postal applications should be dealt within 13 weeks from when they are received in IND. We aim to complete 70 per cent. of postal applications within three weeks of receipt in IND. The premium service will enable callers to have their case considered on the same day as long as the application is complete and further enquiries are not required. We have recently invested heavily to ensure that the improved service standards we publish are achievable and sustainable.
	The principle behind charging is to ensure that those who use the service pay for it rather than the general taxpayer.

Passports

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of the adult population of the United Kingdom does not have a passport.

Beverley Hughes: Out of the adult population of 45.5 million residents, approximately 10 million, or 22 per cent. do not have a passport.

People Trafficking

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what penalties are in place to punish those convicted of people trafficking; and what measures are in place to deter people traffickers.

Beverley Hughes: In the White Paper "Secure Border Safe Haven" the Government promised to introduce legislation on trafficking for both labour and sexual exploitation.
	The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act introduced a new offence of trafficking for the purpose of controlling in prostitution with a maximum penalty of 14 years. This offence came into force 10 February 2003.
	More wide-ranging offences covering trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation were included in the Sexual Offences Bill. The offence of trafficking for sexual exploitation carries a tough maximum penalty of 14 years. In addition to this, the Sexual Offences Bill also introduces a new offence of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of a child, which will protect children up to 18. It covers a range of offences, including buying the sexual services of a child, (for which the penalty ranges from seven years to life depending on the age of the child); and causing, facilitating or controlling the commercial sexual exploitation of a child in prostitution or pornography, for which the maximum penalty will be 14 years imprisonment.
	An offence of trafficking for labour exploitation is under development and will be introduced when parliamentary time permits. This will carry the same 14 year penalty, which is the maximum determinate penalty available to the courts.
	In addition to these penalties, the Government are taking action against immigration crime bosses to ensure that they do not profit from their crimes. To dismantle these criminal networks, the Government are trebling funding for Reflex with £20 million in this financial year and a further £20 million each year for the following two years.
	Reflex is focused on tackling organised immigration crime at source, in transit and in the United Kingdom through intelligence led enforcement action and overseas co-operation. Since April 2003, 20 organised criminal gangs have been disrupted and 16 facilitators have been convicted. Under Reflex successful partnerships have or are being established in a variety of countries such as Romania, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Bulgaria.

Performance Monitoring

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost was of (a) setting, (b) monitoring and (c) measuring the performance targets for his Department in 2002–03; and how many and what grades of civil servants monitor these targets.

Fiona Mactaggart: Performance targets for the Home Office were agreed as part of the Spending Review 2002. The monitoring and measurement of Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets forms part of departmental performance management. Performance management is an integral part of the day to day running of the Department, and as such it is not possible to separate the specific costs out. The monitoring of progress towards, and performance against, the Department's PSA targets is undertaken by a wide variety of staff at all levels of the organisation.

Performance Monitoring

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the performance targets that (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are required to meet; and if he will specify for each target (i) who sets it and (ii) who monitors achievement against it.

Fiona Mactaggart: Key performance targets for the Home Office were agreed as part of the Spending Review 2002 and the latest set were published in Spending Review 2002: Public Service Agreements 2003–2006 (CM 5571). They have also been published in various Home Office publications, including "Targets Delivery Report" (CM5754), and on the Department's website. The Department monitors progress towards the targets along with Her Majesty's Treasury and the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit and progress is reported regularly.
	Targets relating specifically to Home Office agencies and executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are set by the Secretary of State for the Home Office and are monitored by the Department, including through meetings between each organisation and Ministers or officials. A list of Home Office-sponsored agencies and executive NDPBs is as follows:
	Home Office agencies
	Criminal Records Bureau
	Forensic Science Service
	Prison Service Agency
	UK Passport Agency
	Home Office executive NDPBs
	Central Police Training & Development Authority (Centrex)
	Community Development Foundation
	Commission for Racial Equality
	Criminal Cases Review Commission
	Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
	Independent Police Complaints Commission
	National Crime Squad
	National Criminal Intelligence Service
	Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner
	Parole Board
	Police Complaints Authority
	Police Information Technology Organisation
	Security Industry Authority
	Youth Justice Board
	Information on targets, and performance against them, is set out in each organisation's Annual Reports and Accounts, which are laid before Parliament. Information on each organisation, along with links to their individual websites, is also available in the main Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

Police

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers and (b) civilian police staff were employed in (i) Avon and Somerset, (ii) Bedforshire, (iii) Leicestershire and (iv) South Yorkshire on (A) 31 March 1997, (B) 31 March 2003 and (C) 31 August 2003.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the tables:
	
		Number of police officers(31)
		
			  31 March 1997 31 March 2003 31 August 2003 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 2,989 3,160 3,304 
			 Bedfordshire 1,094 1,119 1,132 
			 Leicestershire 1,949 2,147 2,159 
			 South Yorkshire 3,159 3,194 3,210 
		
	
	(31) Full time equivalents
	
		Number of civilian police staff(32),(33)
		
			  31 March 1997 31 March 2003 31 August 2003 
		
		
			  
			  
			 Avon and Somerset 1,330 1,785 (34)— 
			 Bedfordshire 484 595 (34)— 
			 Leicestershire 755 934 (34)— 
			 South Yorkshire 1,291 1,510 (34)— 
		
	
	(32) Full time equivalents
	(33) Excludes traffic wardens
	(34) Not available

Police (Firearms)

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to release the 2002–03 authorised firearms officer figures for all forces in England and Wales; what the cause of the delay in releasing the figures is; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The police use of firearms statistics for 2002–03 are currently being validated and I hope to release them by way of a ministerial statement early in the new year.

Police Funding

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the projected funding per head of population for each police authority in England and Wales is in 2003–04.

Hazel Blears: The information is set out in the table.
	
		£
		
			 Force Funding(35) per head of population(36) 2002–03 Funding(35) per head of population(36) 2003–04 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 110.15 117.18 
			 Bedfordshire 115.55 118.92 
			 Cambridgeshire 100.54 111.62 
			 Cheshire 108.84 120.16 
			 Cleveland 157.87 167.00 
			 Cumbria 125.24 130.76 
			 Derbyshire 105.09 112.58 
			 Devon and Cornwall 109.35 113.03 
			 Dorset 93.58 98.28 
			 Durham 138.76 149.74 
			 Dyfed-Powys 111.64 115.43 
			 Essex 102.63 107.04 
			 Gloucestershire 107.24 113.45 
			 Greater Manchester 151.72 168.58 
			 Gwent 129.39 137.75 
			 Hampshire 107.94 118.03 
			 Hertfordshire 101.99 107.18 
			 Humberside 128.61 139.32 
			 Kent 116.74 128.40 
			 Lancashire 127.54 135.86 
			 Leicestershire 108.92 116.95 
			 Lincolnshire 103.72 102.31 
			 Merseyside 180.40 194.66 
			 Metropolitan 260.66 286.02 
			 Norfolk 106.24 115.26 
			 Northamptonshire 102.84 112.98 
			 Northumbria 153.22 166.89 
			 North Wales 119.43 124.00 
			 North Yorkshire 98.67 103.85 
			 Nottinghamshire 127.25 133.70 
			 South Wales 135.83 145.63 
			 South Yorkshire 136.86 151.49 
			 Staffordshire 104.48 114.45 
			 Suffolk 100.07 107.25 
			 Surrey 86.55 93.50 
			 Sussex 107.94 114.11 
			 Thames Valley 104.96 110.48 
			 Warwickshire 100.95 110.32 
			 West Mercia 97.92 101.55 
			 West Midlands 147.44 171.37 
			 West Yorkshire 142.66 152.24 
			 Wiltshire 102.79 106.38 
		
	
	(35) Government funding includes Home Office police grant, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Welsh Assembly Government Revenue Support Grant and National Non-Domestic Rates, Crime Fighting Fund, Rural Policing Grant, Airwave, DNA Expansion Programme, Community Support Officers, London and South East Allowances, Free Travel for City of London and MPS, Basic Command Unit funding, Street Crime Initiative, Special Priority Payments from the PNB agreement, Counter Terrorism (PMS only), Capital grant and the premises Improvement Fund.
	(36) Source for resident population figures:Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The figures are as used for calculation of grant under the Police Funding Formula.

Police Funding

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the projected funding for 2004 is for each police authority in England and Wales under the Rural Sparsity Grant.

Hazel Blears: I shall announce details of the Rural Policing Fund allocations for 2004–05 with the provisional police funding settlement for 2004–05.

Police Funding

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what police funding was allocated to the North West in each year since 1992.

Hazel Blears: The information is set out in the tables.
	
		North West Region*
		
			  Government Revenue Grant(37)(£ million) 
		
		
			 1992–93(38) n/a 
			 1993–94(38) n/a 
			 1994–95(38) n/a 
			 1995–96 752.65 
			 1996–97 789.41 
			 1997–98 805.79 
			 1998–99 834.17 
			 1999–2000 852.13 
			 2000–01 884.26 
			 2001–02(39) 939.82 
			 2002–03 962.04 
			 2003–04 1,022.16 
		
	
	(37) Government Grant includes Home Office police grant, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) Revenue Support Grant and non national domestic rates, Crime Fighting Fund, Rural Policing Grant, Basic Command Unit funding, Community Support Officer funding, DNA Expansion Programme, Street Crime Initiative and Special Priority payments.
	(38) Before 1995–96, when most Police Authorities became independent local authorities, revenue support grant and non-national domestic rates were paid as part of respective county council grant funding.
	(39) The grant figures for 2001–02 and 2002–03 are not directly comparable, owing to changes from 2002–03 in the method of funding the National Crime Squad and the National Criminal Intelligence Service. Based on the new arrangements, comparable grant figure for 2001–02 would have been £917,614,378.
	* The North West region is policed by Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside forces.
	In addition, the North West forces received the following funding in capital grant, including Airwave and the Premises Improvement Fund.
	
		
			  North West Region, Capital Grants(£ million) 
		
		
			 1995–96 22.54 
			 1996–97 17.73 
			 1997–98 19.05 
			 1998–99 12.92 
			 1999–2000 13.46 
			 2000–01 17.59 
			 2001–02 45.46 
			 2002–03 36.56 
			 2003–04 34.96

Police Vehicles

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police vehicles there were in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by (a) police authority area and (b) manufacturer.

Hazel Blears: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Policing Costs

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is issued to police forces in relation to negotiating contributions from the organisers of (a) football matches and (b) other public events towards the costs of policing those events.

Hazel Blears: Section 25 of the Police Act 1996 enables Chief Officers of Police to provide special police services upon request and in return for payment at a rate set by the police authority.
	Home Office guidance is that where the police charge for special services arrangements should be made for full recovery of costs. Home Office circular 34/2000 deals specifically with charging for policing football matches and offers guidance on the calculation of full costs.

Policing Costs

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to make football clubs responsible for a greater proportion of the costs of policing football matches.

Hazel Blears: Section 25 of the Police Act 1996 enables chief officers of police to provide special police services upon request and in return for payment at a rate set by the police authority.
	We appreciate that policing football raises particular issues about resources and deployment which is why a working group, involving the police, police authorities, football authorities and others was set up to consider these matters.
	The group has met on a number of occasions but has not concluded its deliberations. It would be premature to speculate on the outcome but a final or interim report will be sought early next year.

Pupil Visa Charges

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate a review of the introduction of visa charges on pupils from overseas attending United Kingdom boarding schools which provides an opportunity for consultation with schools affected.

Beverley Hughes: The level of charges are set under Treasury rules to recover the full costs associated with delivering the service. Under these rules, there is a requirement for an annual fee review with which the Home Office will comply. My officials are looking at a number of issues for the future including fee structures, the possibility of differential charging and how to further improve the service.
	I cannot, of course, guarantee the outcome of the fee review. However, the hon. Gentleman has my assurance that Home Office officials will engage with the DfES, British Council, UKCOSA and others to ensure that the education sector's representations are taken into account.
	The principle behind charging is to ensure that those who use the service pay rather than the general taxpayer.

Racism

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many racist incidents were reported to the police in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years.

Hazel Blears: Section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 requires the Secretary of State to publish such information as he considers expedient in order to enable those involved in the criminal justice system to become aware of the financial implications of their decisions, or to avoid discrimination on grounds of race, sex or any other improper grounds.
	The number of racist incidents both 'reported' to and 'recorded' by the police in England and Wales since 1991 and published under section 95, can be seen in the following table.
	
		
			  Total 
		
		
			 1991 7,882 
			 1992 7,734 
			 1993–94 11,006 
			 1994–95 11,878 
			 1995–96 12,222 
			 1996–97 13,151 
			 1997–98 23,049 
			 1998–99 23,049 
			 1999–2000 47,814 
			 2000–01 53,092 
			 2001–02 54,351 
		
	
	We believe that the sharp rise in incidents recorded by the police reflects better recording and greater confidence of communities in reporting incidents.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department are taking to ensure consistency in using the Regulations of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 across all Government Departments.

Caroline Flint: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has issued statutory Codes of Practice relating to the exercise and performance of powers and duties under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. Subject to the approval of Parliament, new and revised codes will be issued. These codes, together with provision of advice from independent Commissioners and the delivery of training and seminars, support consistency in the use of powers under the Act.
	Independent Commissioners, who are appointed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, are under a statutory duty to keep under review the exercise and performance of the powers and duties conferred or imposed on public authorities by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The Commissioners' role includes, where necessary or appropriate, ensuring consistency in the application of the Act's provisions or the interpretation of the statutory Codes of Practice.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that the relevant Commissioners have the necessary resources to carry out effective oversight of public authorities' use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Road Traffic Regulations(Police Confiscation Powers)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the police have used their new power to confiscate vehicles that persistently infringe road traffic regulations or are used off-road causing public annoyance in (a) Crosby and (b) England.

Caroline Flint: The new powers given to the police by the Police Reform Act 2002 relate to offences under sections three and 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Those offences cover driving on-road without due care and attention and driving off-road without authority. As from January 2003, where a vehicle committing one of these offences is being driven in such a way that it is causing or is likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public, a constable in uniform is empowered to stop and seize it. Unless a warning has been given previously, the police are required where practical to warn the person before seizing the vehicle, so that its anti-social use can be stopped.
	The new power came into effect at the start of the year and its effective use is being developed. Figures for the number of vehicles that have so far been seized under this legislation are not collected centrally. I understand, however, from the Merseyside Police that as at 10 November, 14 warnings had been issued and one vehicle had been seized in Crosby.

Road Traffic Speeds

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what help he will give chief constables to reduce illegal speeding.

Caroline Flint: The National Safety Camera Scheme the Government have introduced enables local partnerships to net off money from fixed penalties for speeding offences detected by camera to fund camera enforcement. The Scheme has been shown to be effective in reducing speed related death and injury and in the National Policing Plan we have encouraged all forces to support it. All forces will be fully participating in the scheme by the middle of next year.

Secondment

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from science and technology backgrounds have been seconded into the Civil Service in his Department in each of the last five years for which data are available.

Fiona Mactaggart: Secondments are part of the Interchange initiative, which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations—public, private and voluntary. Interchange provides opportunities for civil servants to learn new skills, widen their experience and develop ideas, it also brings in skills and experiences from other sectors. 198 staff were seconded into the Home Office during the period 1 April 1998 to 31 March 2003. The Home Office records data on inward secondees according to their originating sector, but it does not specifically collate data on secondees with a science and technology background.
	The annual number of inward secondments to the Home Office from outside the Civil Service was:
	
		
			 Year  
		
		
			 1998–99 25 
			 1999–2000 30 
			 2000–2001 21 
			 2001–2002 44 
			 2002–2003 78

Terrorism Act

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 4 November 2003, Official Report, column 575W, on the Terrorism Act, if he will break down the number of stop and searches under section 44 (1) and section 44 (2) of the Terrorism Act 2000 by (a) ethnicity and (b) gender in each year.

David Blunkett: holding answer 17 November 2003
	The data collected on stops and searches made under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 is not automatically cross-referenced with data on the ethnicity and gender of those stopped. This information could be collated and verified only at disproportionate cost.

Terrorism Act

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for authorisations under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 have been received from (a) Avon and Somerset, (b) Merseyside, (c) West Midlands, (d) South Wales and (e) Northumbria police forces.

David Blunkett: The applications received from the listed forces for the authorisation of section 44 powers are as follows.
	
		
			 Listed forces Applications 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset Police 3 
			 Merseyside Police 7 
			 West Midlands 19 
			 South Wales Police 17 
			 Northumbria Police 2

UK/US Extradition Treaty

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the Extradition Treaty he signed on 31 March gives the US the right to request extradition from the UK without the need to provide prima facie evidence but does not provide an equivalent right for the UK in respect of individuals in the US.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Baillieston, (Mr. Wray) on 8 July 2003, Official Report, column 722W.

Website

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the content and design of his Department's website.

Fiona Mactaggart: We are in the process of redeveloping the Home Office website so that it is seen as a key communication with the general public.
	As well as the Home Office site, we have specific issue sites that deal with high priority issues such as policing and crime reduction.
	www.policecouldyou.co.uk has processed nearly 5,000 police applications.
	www.good2bsecure.co.uk provides crime prevention advice particularly to students who are one of the country's most vulnerable groups.

Working Immigrants

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how significant he estimates working immigrants will be in remedying problems of an ageing population in the UK.

Beverley Hughes: The latest (interim 2001-based) projections from the Government Actuary indicate that the proportion of the population aged over 65 is projected to increase from 16 per cent. in 2001 to 21 per cent. in 2026 and the number of dependants of pensionable age per 1,000 persons of working age is estimated to grow from 299 in 2001 to 341 in 2026.
	Working immigrants help fill labour shortages in a variety of sectors and contribute to productivity and economic growth. However working immigrants are just one factor that can help mitigate the effects of an ageing population. They complement a variety other measures such as increasing labour market participation, improving productivity as well as savings policies and the provision of public services.

HEALTH

Painkillers

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many over-the-counter painkillers contain codeine phosphate; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 28 October 2003
	According to the records held by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, there are currently 96 granted marketing authorisations for medicinal products containing the active ingredient codeine phosphate. These are licensed as pharmacy medicines and are available without prescription from a pharmacy under the supervision of a pharmacist. No products containing codeine phosphate are licensed for general sale.

Painkillers

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many opiate-based painkillers are available on prescription.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 28 October 2003
	According to the records held by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, there are currently 440 granted marketing authorisations for products containing opiate or opioid-based substances which are prescription only medicines and licensed for pain relief.

"Making Amends"

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether the reforms set out in his Department's document, "Making Amends", will require primary legislation;
	(2)  if he will publish the responses his Department has received to the Chief Medical Officer's consultation paper, "Making Amends".

Rosie Winterton: The type and scope of legislation needed to implement changes to the way the national health service handles incidents that may involve clinical negligence will depend on the Government's response to the Chief Medical Officer's (CMO's) recommendations on this issue. The CMO's recommendations were set out in his consultation report, "Making Amends", which was published on 30 June. Formal consultation ended on 17 October and responses are now being analysed. It is expected this will take several weeks, given the complexity of the issues.
	All those who responded to the consultation exercise on the CMO's report were asked whether they were willing for their responses to be published. More than 170 responses were received and the majority have given consent for their comments to be published. We intend to publish these responses as soon as possible, on the Department of Health's website.

Alzheimer's Disease

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average annual personal care costs were for someone with Alzheimer's disease living in their own home in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Stephen Ladyman: Data are not collected centrally on the average annual personal care costs for someone with Alzheimer's disease living in their own home.

Ambulances

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what length of time on average ambulance crews spent on each emergency call out in each of the London boroughs in the last year for which figures are available.

John Hutton: This information is not held centrally.

Ambulatory Oxygen Systems

John Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will amend the contractual procedures with equipment suppliers so as to bring forward the date when ambulatory oxygen administration systems can be made available to patients in the NHS;
	(2)  when he expects that all patients in England and Wales who have a medical need for ambulatory oxygen administration systems will have them supplied under the NHS;
	(3)  by what date ambulatory oxygen administration systems will be made available to NHS patients;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the number of patients in England and Wales in need of ambulatory oxygen administration systems.

Rosie Winterton: In June, we announced plans to introduce a modernised, integrated, oxygen service. The new contract for oxygen services, currently being drawn up, will set out clear standards for the delivery of services to meet individual patient needs. Specialist hospital consultants will take on the responsibility for assessing and prescribing oxygen, including ambulatory oxygen, with service contractors required to provide the type of service needed.
	We are working towards an operational date of 1 April 2005 for the new oxygen services contract. This is the earliest practical date, taking into account the need to minimise inconvenience to patients and to ensure fair and open competition for the new contract.
	Details of the service specification for the new contract, currently being drawn up, will be available in early 2004.
	Information on the numbers of patients who need ambulatory oxygen is not held centrally.

Audiologists

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies there are for audiologists at each NHS trust.

John Hutton: Information is not collected separately on audiologists, they are included within the physiological measurement area of work. Information on the number of vacancies lasting three months or more for qualified physiological measurement staff has been placed in the Library.

Chiropody

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will amend the restrictions placed on the provision of chiropody in the health service.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 4 November 2003
	There are no centrally imposed restrictions on the provision of chiropody in the National Health Service. Primary care trusts have the responsibility for improving the health of the community. In commissioning services PCTs need to plan local services near to patients and ensure that they are identifying the health needs of patients and securing services for them.

Commission for Patient and Public Involvement

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of whether the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement will have new structures in place and working by 1 December 2003.

Rosie Winterton: The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) is well on track to meeting its statutory obligations to ensure all its new structures are in place and working by the time of the abolition of the community health councils on 1 December 2003. The Independent Complaints Advocacy Service has been in place since 1 September 2003, supporting individuals who wish to pursue a complaint against the national health service. Recruitment to patients' forums is progressing well, with national and local advertising campaigns eliciting a large number of applications leading the CPPIH to have every confidence in being able to achieve full forum coverage by 1 December 2003.

Commission for Patient and Public Involvement

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Public Bodies (Access to Meetings) Act 1960 applies to the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health.

Rosie Winterton: The Public Bodies (Access to Meetings) Act 1960 does not apply to the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH), which was also the case with the community health councils.
	The NHS Reform and Healthcare Professions Act 2002 requires the CPPIH to adopt the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972 (part v), in respect of access to public meetings. These requirements have been applied and appropriately modified under the CPPIH's Membership and Procedures Regulations 2002.

Community Health Councils

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to extend the life of community health councils in advance of the transition to the new structure.

Rosie Winterton: Community health councils (CHCs) will be abolished on 1 December. We do not support any further delay in the abolition. We believe such a move would place remaining staff under great strain, give rise to widespread logistical problems and cause confusion among patients and the public.

Community Health Councils

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures he has put in place (a) for the employment of community health council officers and staff in the new complaint and consultation structure and (b) to ensure that community health council (i) records, (ii) skills and (iii) experience are not lost to their local communities.

Rosie Winterton: A human resources framework for community health council (CHC) staff, agreed with the relevant trades unions, was issued in June 2003. The framework included arrangements for those CHC staff who wished to leave early to take up posts in organisations providing independent complaints advocacy services, local network providers to patients' forums, overview and scrutiny committees (OSCs) and other posts in the national health service dedicated to patient and public involvement. The framework also made provision for clearing houses, training opportunities and helplines to assist CHC staff find alternative employment in the NHS. Guidance on the retention and disposal arrangements for CHC records was also issued in June 2003. The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health continues to work with CHCs to consider the best ways to transfer valuable local knowledge to patients' forums to help them build local capacity. CHCs have for some time been working with patient advice and liaison services and OSCs, including sharing experiences and local knowledge, so that those organisations are able to carry out their new responsibilities as effectively as possible.

Community Health Councils

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that new organisations handling complaints and patient issues in place of community health councils should establish (a) local offices and (b) drop-in advice services.

Rosie Winterton: The independent complaints advocacy service, that supports people if they want to make a complaint against the national health service, provides a service across the whole of England from a mixture of regional and local offices. It is not a general drop-in advice service.
	Patient advice and liaison services, providing on-the-spot help and advice to patients, their families and carers, exist in almost all NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) and do provide a drop-in advice service.
	Patients' forums, providing new opportunities to get involved in health services, are being set up for every NHS trust and PCT and will operate locally. Providing a drop-in advice service is a function of PCT patients' forums.

Community Health Councils

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are in place to ensure that patients' interests are safeguarded during the period leading up to the abolition of community health councils.

Rosie Winterton: The majority of community health councils (CHCs) will continue to operate to ensure that patients' interests are safeguarded up to the abolition date. Each CHC has an exit strategy based on national and local guidelines. The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health continues to work with CHCs to consider the best ways to transfer valuable local knowledge to patients' forums to help them build local capacity. CHCs have also been liaising with organisations providing independent complaints advocacy services and have for some time been working with patient advice and liaison services and overview and scrutiny committees, sharing experiences and local knowledge to enable those organisations to pick up their new powers and responsibilities.

Dementia

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of people in care homes have a form of dementia; what proportion of care homes are registered as being able to accept people with Alzheimer's disease; and what plans he has to ensure that care home staff receive dementia care training.

Stephen Ladyman: Data are not collected on the number of people with dementia, in the population generally or in care homes in particular. Research evidence shows that about five per cent, of the population over 65 has dementia. This represents about 600,000 people in the United Kingdom. Alzheimer's disease causes up to 60 per cent. of cases of dementia.
	All care homes which have the client group/service user category of DE (dementia under 65 years) or DE(E) (dementia over 65 years) are able to accept client/service users with Alzheimer's disease.
	Regulation 18 of the Care Homes Regulations 2001 requires care home providers to ensure that at all times there are suitably qualified, competent and experienced staff working in care homes in such numbers as are appropriate for the health and welfare of the residents. It also requires providers to ensure the staff they employ receive training appropriate to the work they are to perform. The National Care Standards Commission is responsible for ensuring care homes conform to the regulations and meet the assessed needs of residents.

Dentistry

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact which moving responsibilities for dentistry from health authorities to primary care trusts has had on registration numbers.

Rosie Winterton: Primary care trusts (PCTs) took over the responsibility for the administration of the general dental services (GDS) arrangements from 1 October 2002. National arrangements for determining remuneration of dentists working in the GDS were not affected by these changes. The level of patient registrations in the GDS has remained broadly stable since October 2002. Patients do not need registration in order to access national health service dentistry through the community or personal dental services. Arrangements are also in place for patients to access NHS dentistry on an occasional basis in the GDS.
	Subject to Parliament, the Health & Social Care (Community Health & Standards) Bill will give new duties to PCTs from April 2005 to secure dental services and will enable them to provide assistance and support to dental practices with which they contract. From the same date, the £1.2 billion held centrally for dentistry will be devolved to PCTs to support them in delivering their new duties on dentistry.

Dentistry

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists offered NHS treatment in (a) Taunton and (b) Somerset in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Information is available for the Somerset Health Authority area for the years 1997 to 2001 and is shown in the following table. For the years 2002 and 2003, information is given in the table for Taunton Dean Primary Care Trust (PCT) area and for four Somerset PCTs.
	
		General Dental Service: Number of Dentists in Somerset 1997 to 2003
		
			 Primary Care Trust/Health Authority Date Number of dentists 
		
		
			 Somerset PCTs(40) 30 June 2003 233 
			 Somerset PCTs(40) 30 September 2002 227 
			 Somerset HA 30 September each year  
			  2001 176 
			  2000 181 
			  1999 165 
			  1998 163 
			  1997 163 
		
	
	(40) Taunton Deane PCT, Somerset Coast PCT, South Somerset PCT and Mendip PCT

Dentistry

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the safety of (a) mercury and (b) silver fillings in dentistry;
	(2)  what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) received on risks associated with using (i) mercury and (ii) silver in tooth fillings; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Dental amalgam is a combination of alloy particles, mainly silver, and mercury. Dental amalgam is the most frequently used material for restoring decayed teeth. Its main advantages include wide indications for use, ease of handling and excellent physical properties. It has been used in dentistry with good results for more than a century.
	The 1998 European Union expert report concluded that currently available data indicate that mercury from dental amalgam restorations will not cause an unacceptable health risk to the general population. There is little evidence that an unacceptable health risk is associated with occupational exposure of dental personnel providing due care is used in the preparation and handling of dental amalgam. The same report also concluded that there is no scientific evidence that the use of dental amalgam is related to adverse effects on pre-and post-natal health or fertility. There are therefore no plans to commission further research into amalgam safety. However, it remains the Department's advice that dentists should continue to avoid or delay any dental intervention or medication during pregnancy.

Digital Hearing Aids

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting time is for digital hearing aids in the NHS, broken down by primary care trust area.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally. We have invested £94 million over two years, which will be used to make digital hearing aids available across England by April 2005.

Early Intervention Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been invested in the (a) planning and (b) establishment of Early Intervention Services; how much has been allocated to each primary care trust; how many Early Intervention Services have been establshed; and where they are.

Rosie Winterton: The funds necessary to set up early intervention teams, as envisaged in the Priorities and Planning Framework 2003–06, have been made available to primary care trusts within their general allocations.
	The numbers of early intervention teams in operation, according to local implementation team catchment areas, are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Local implementation team Number of services 
		
		
			 Birmingham 3 
			 Croydon 1 
			 Devon and Torbay 1 
			 Dewsbury 1 
			 East Yorkshire 1 
			 Hartlepool 1 
			 Lambeth 2 
			 Lincolnshire 1 
			 Luton 1 
			 Northumberland 1 
			 Plymouth 1 
			 Salford 1 
			 Sheffield 1 
			 Suffolk 1 
			 Sutton and Merton 1 
			 Tameside and Glossop 1 
			 Tower Hamlets 1 
			 Trafford 1 
			 Wandsworth 1 
			 Wolverhampton 1 
			 Worcestershire 1 
			 Total 24

Epilepsy

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the provision of specialist epilepsy nurses for children with epilepsy.

Stephen Ladyman: We recognise the important role that epilepsy specialist nurses play in the treatment and management of children and adults with epilepsy. Around 100 epilepsy specialist nursing posts have already been developed in both hospital and community settings. Primary care trusts are best placed to determine the number of such posts required to support the development and delivery of local epilepsy services.
	We are currently developing the national service framework (NSF) for long term conditions, which will focus on improving the standard of neurology services across England for a range of conditions, including epilepsy. As part of the process of developing the NSF, work is in hand to consider relevant work force issues such as the need for increased numbers of staff but also for new ways of working, including skill mix, role extensions and multi-disciplinary working, based around patient needs. We expect that the group looking at these work force issues will make recommendations on the future supply of professionals and development of new ways of working to inform national work force planning processes. The needs of people with epilepsy will be considered in this work alongside other specialties and conditions.

Foundation Hospital Trusts

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely range of costs of (a) building and (b) maintaining the membership base of an NHS foundation trust.

John Hutton: The costs associated with a membership base for a National Health Service foundation trust will depend on a number of factors, including the size of membership. Experience of other membership organisations suggested that the cost of establishing and maintaining a membership base of 5,000 people is likely to be approximately £2.25 per member per annum, although these costs will be lower the larger the membership.

Foundation Trusts

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he made of the effects of piloting the proposals for NHS foundation trusts before allowing their roll-out in England.

John Hutton: Piloting was a consideration as the proposals for national health service foundation trusts were developed. However, it was concluded that piloting would not achieve the radical and comprehensive reform that is required to deliver the freedoms and local accountability central to the Government's policy on NHS foundation trusts. There will, however, be opportunities to learn from the experience of the first wave NHS foundation trust applications.

General Practitioners

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow), of 8 January 2003, Official Report, columns 278–79W, on general practitioners, what the figures were for the year to April 2003.

John Hutton: The number of whole-time equivalent general practitioners in each strategic health authority, Government office region and in England between October 1997 and March 2003 are shown in the table.
	
		General Medical Practitioners (excluding GP retainers)(41),(42) in England, by Strategic Health Authority and Government Office Region; 1997 to March 2003 -- Estimated whole-time equivalents
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 England 27,660 27,848 28,033 28,154 28,439 
			   
			 North East 1,402 1,418 1,426 1,434 1,488 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 782 802 807 812 836 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 620 617 619 622 652 
			   
			 North West 3,834 3,822 3,880 3,874 3,903 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 1,079 1,083 1,090 1,079 1,093 
			 Greater Manchester 1,409 1,404 1,420 1,424 1,422 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 1,346 1,335 1,370 1,371 1,388 
			   
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 2,848 2,843 2,892 2,911 2,950 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 944 934 951 959 968 
			 West Yorkshire 1,188 1,198 1,221 1,227 1,248 
			 South Yorkshire 716 711 720 725 734 
			   
			 West Midlands 2,877 2,901 2,920 2,959 2,962 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 757 776 787 792 779 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 1,261 1,272 1,279 1,299 1,305  
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire 859 853 853 869 878 
			   
			 East Midlands 2,220 2,233 2,227 2,225 2,261 
			 Trent 1,363 1,382 1,386 1,408 1,434 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 857 851 841 817 827 
			   
			 East of England 2,901 2,955 2,963 2,979 2,987 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 1,227 1,243 1,250 1,268 1,276 
			 Bedford and Hertfordshire 869 892 894 897 906 
			 Essex 805 819 819 814 805 
			   
			 London 4,225 4,212 4,198 4,217 4,212 
			 North West London 1,107 1,097 1,055 1,044 1,064 
			 North Central London 738 741 727 748 746 
			 North East London 835 845 844 866 841 
			 South East London 814 810 840 825 833 
			 South West London 731 720 732 735 727 
			   
			 South East 4,410 4,482 4,512 4,507 4,579 
			 Thames Valley 1,145 1,186 1,198 1,202 1,218 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 996 999 1,014 1,017 1,037 
			 Kent and Medway 860 867 868 853 860 
			 Surrey and Sussex 1,410 1,430 1,432 1,435 1,464 
			   
			 South West 2,942 2,981 3,014 3,048 3,097 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 1,225 1,257 1,281 1,289 1,301 
			 South West Peninsula 990 981 972 1,000 1,025 
			 Somerset and Dorset 727 744 761 759 771 
		
	
	
		Estimated whole-time equivalents
		
			 Increase 
			  March 2002 2002 March 2003 1997 to 2003 1999 to 2003 
		
		
			 England 28,540 28,740 29,180 1,520 1,146 
			   
			 North East 1,494 1,523 1,542 140 116 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 852 866 855 73 48 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 642 657 688 68 68 
			   
			 North West 3,923 3,943 4,002 168 122 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 1,107 1,103 1,116 37 26 
			 Greater Manchester 1,422 1,409 1,444 35 24 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 1,395 1,430 1,442 96 72 
			   
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 2,979 2,988 3,037 189 145 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 985 989 998 54 47 
			 West Yorkshire 1,266 1,257 1,298 110 77 
			 South Yorkshire 728 742 741 26 21 
			 West Midlands 3,001 3,034 3,051 174 132 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 781 806 818 61 31 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 1,317 1,330 1,323 62 44 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire 903 898 910 51 57 
			   
			 East Midlands 2,236 2,275 2,311 91 84 
			 Trent 1,405 1,439 1,462 99 76 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 831 836 849 -8 8 
			   
			 East of England 2,997 2,991 3,040 140 77 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 1,276 1,277 1,297 70 47 
			 Bedford and Hertfordshire 906 914 918 49 23 
			 Essex 814 800 826 21 7 
			   
			 London 4,229 4,288 4,398 173 199 
			 North West London 1,043 1,056 1,085 -22 30 
			 North Central London 755 759 760 22 33 
			 North East London 859 888 919 84 74 
			 South East London 820 830 872 58 32 
			 South West London 752 755 762 31 30 
			   
			 South East 4,602 4,608 4,670 260 158 
			 Thames Valley 1,236 1,268 1,273 129 75 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 1,041 1,022 1,047 51 33 
			 Kent and Medway 855 854 863 3 -5 
			 Surrey and Sussex 1,469 1,464 1,487 77 55 
			   
			 South West 3,079 3,091 3,128 185 113 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 1,300 1,302 1,316 90 35 
			 South West Peninsula 1,012 1,006 1,039 48 66 
			 Somerset and Dorset 768 783 773 46 12 
		
	
	(41) All Practitioners (excluding GP retainers) include QMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs, PMS Salaried GPs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, GP Registrars, Salaried Doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS Other and Flexible Career Scheme GPs.
	(42) GP retainers were first collected in 1999 and have been omitted for comparability purposes.
	Notes:
	1. WTE data has been estimated using the results from the 1992–93 GMP Workload Survey;
	Full time = 1.00 wte;
	Three quarter time = 0.69 wte;
	Job share = 0.65 wte;
	Half time = 0.60 wte.
	2. Totals may not add up to sum of component parts due to rounding
	3. Data as at 1 October 1997–99, 30 September 2000–02, 31 March 2002–03
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

Health Care Assistants

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health care assistants work in the NHS; and if he will list the titles they work under in (a) England, (b) each region and (c) each NHS trust.

John Hutton: As at September 2002, there were 210,462 healthcare assistants employed in the national health service according to the non-medical workforce census. Healthcare assistants perform a similar role as other groups in the NHS, including nursing auxiliaries and assistants to qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff. These staff are included in the above figure and also the Performance and Planning Framework target for 27,000 more healthcare assistants by 2005 over a 2002 baseline.
	Job titles of staff within NHS organisations are determined at a local level and are not collated centrally.
	Details of the number of healthcare assistants by primary care trusts have been placed in the Library.

Heath Care (Bath/North East Somerset)

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for patients from Bath and North East Somerset was in (a) 1997 and (b) 2003 for (i) cancer treatment and (ii) heart operations.

Rosie Winterton: Information for 1997 is not available. Specific information on heart operations is collected from patients waiting over nine months at the end of the quarter. At quarter ending September 2003, there were no patients waiting over nine months within the Bath and North East Somerset primary care trust area. Trust level data on waiting times for cancer treatment for quarter ending September 2003 are published at: http ://www.doh.gov.uk/waitingtimes

Health Care (York)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general dental practitioners offered NHS treatment in York in each year since 1979.

Melanie Johnson: The available information is for the general dental service (GDS). The information in the table shows the number of GDS dentists in the York area at September each year from 1979 to 2002 and at 30 June 2003. The number of dentists includes principals, assistants and vocational dental practitioners. The information is presented for the health administration area covering the York area, which changed during the period.
	
		General Dental Service: number of dentists in the York area,1979 to 2003
		
			 Health area Number of dentists 
		
		
			  Selby And York Primary Care Trust 
			 30 June 2003 117 
			 30 September each year  
			 2002 126 
			   
			  North Yorkshire Health Authority 
			 2001 304 
			 2000 292 
			 1999 287 
			 1998 277 
			 1997 267 
			 1996 264 
			   
			  North Yorkshire Family Health Service 
			 1995 244 
			 1994 248 
			 1993 247 
			 1992 235 
			 1991 243 
			 1990 241 
			   
			  North Yorkshire Family Practitioners Committee 
			 1989 235 
			 1988 231 
			 1987 217 
			 1986 218 
			 1985 221 
			 1984 219 
			 1983 215 
			 1982 205 
			 1981 199 
			 1980 193 
			 1979 186

Health Services (Essex)

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time midwives were employed by Essex Strategic Health Authority on 1st September.

Stephen Ladyman: Essex Strategic Health Authority (SHA) does not employ any full time midwives. However, I am informed that the number of midwives employed by the National Health Service in Essex SHA area as at 30 September 2002 was 292.
	Source:Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Health Services (Essex)

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time district nurses were employed by Essex Strategic Health Authority on 1 September.

Stephen Ladyman: Essex Strategic Health Authority (SHA) does not employ any full time district nurses. However, I am informed that the number of district nurses employed by the National Health Service in Essex SHA area as at 30 September 2002 was 289, for which these are the latest figures available.
	Source:Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census 2002.

Health Services (Essex)

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many occupational therapists were employed by South Essex Partnership NHS Trust on 1 September.

Stephen Ladyman: As at 30 September 2002, there were 82 occupational therapists employed by the South Essex Partnership National Health Service Trust. This, the latest available data, is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Whole-time equivalent Headcount at 30 September 2002 
		
		
			 73 82 
		
	
	Source
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census 2002

Health Services (Essex)

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time administrative staff were employed in general practice surgeries by Essex Strategic Health Authority on 1September.

Stephen Ladyman: Essex Strategic Health Authority (SHA) does not directly employ staff in general practitioner practices they are recruited by each GP practice in line with their specific support requirements.
	However, I am advised that there are 1,486 administrative and clerical staff employed by in practices in the Essex SHA area as at 30 September 2002, which are the latest figures available.
	Source:Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

Health Services (Essex)

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time general practitioners were employed by Essex Strategic Health Authority on 1 September.

Stephen Ladyman: Essex Strategic Health Authority (SHA) does not directly employ any general practitioners, they are recruited through the primary care trusts in line with empowering the local care providing communities. However, I am advised that within the Essex SHA area in June 2003, the number of GPs were as shown in the table.
	
		
			 Number of GPs Number of which were full time 
		
		
			 900 750 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

Health Services (Essex)

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the vacancy figure for NHS general practitioners in Essex was on 1 September.

Stephen Ladyman: It is not possible to give vacancy statistics on a particular date. However, I am informed that there are currently 157 vacancies for general practitioners in the Essex Strategic Health Authority area as at 31 March 2003, for which these are the latest figures available.

Health Services (Essex)

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the vacancy figure for district nurses in Essex was on 1 September.

Stephen Ladyman: The total number of vacancies are not held centrally. However, I am advised that information for three month vacancies is collected and the data currently available is as at 31 March 2003.
	Vacancies for all district nurses in the Essex Strategic Health Authority area and three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post are shown in the table.
	
		District Nurses
		
			 Three Monthvacancy rate—percentage Three month vacancy number Staff in post (whole-time equivalent) Staff in post (headcount) 
			 March 2003 September 2002 
		
		
			 5.8 20 407 512 
		
	
	Sources:
	Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2003.
	Department of Health Non-Midical Workforce Census, September 2002.

Health Services (Essex)

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the vacancy figure for ambulance paramedics in the Essex ambulance service was on 1 September.

Stephen Ladyman: The total number of vacancies is not held centrally. However, I am advised that information for three month vacancies is collected and the data currently available is as at 31 March 2003.
	Vacancies for all ambulance staff in the Essex Strategic Health Authority area and three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post are shown in the table.
	
		All Ambulance Staff
		
			 Three Monthvacancy rate—percentage Three month vacancy number Staff in post (whole-time equivalent) Staff in post (headcount) 
			 March 2003 September 2002 
		
		
			 0.0 — 566 623 
		
	
	Source
	Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2003.

Health Services (Essex)

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time paramedics were employed by Essex Air Ambulance on 1 September.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally.

Health Services (Essex)

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trainee paramedics were employed by the Essex Ambulance Service on 1st September.

Stephen Ladyman: As at 30 September 2002, there were 62 full-time trainee ambulance personnel employed by the Essex Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust, for which these are the latest figures available.
	Source:Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Health Services Planning

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Government will reassess the priorities and planning framework for health and social services; and how future priorities and planning frameworks will take account of the needs of people with disabilities.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government has introduced a three year planning cycle to allow for greater stability in National Health Service and social care planning. We are aiming to announce the priorities and planning framework for the next three year period, 2005–06 to 2007–08, in autumn 2004. No decisions have yet been made about the contents of this priorities and planning framework.

Kaiser Permanente System

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the findings of his visit to the Kaiser Permanente healthcare system in the US, with particular reference to the costs of the system.

John Reid: During my visit to Washington DC in October, I visited the West End Medical Centre to meet staff and patients and to see at first hand how Kaiser Permanente serves its members. At the medical centre, I learnt about the way in which Kaiser involves patients in their own care, and heard a presentation about the prevention and treatment of diabetes. I was given a tour of the medical centre and talked to staff and patients. The costs of the Kaiser system have been studied by independent researchers whose comparison of the national health service and Kaiser was published in the British Medical Journal last year. Departmental officials are working with Kaiser to explore how we might learn from their approach in the next stages of NHS reform.

Long-term Care

Terry Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response he has given to the statement published in October by nine members of the Royal Commission on Long-Term Care.

Stephen Ladyman: No statement has been made in response to the statement by nine of the members of the Royal Commission on Long-Term Care which reported in 1999. However, we do not believe that making personal care free for everyone is the best use of limited resources. Instead we have significantly increased investment in other aspects of older people's services. We believe that investing in this way will secure greater benefits for older people than could have been achieved by simply providing free personal care.
	The recent publication of performance indicators and star ratings for social services for 2002–03 demonstrates that the Government's policy is now having the desired effect with 81,500 people in England now receiving intensive home care to maintain their independence. The proportion of households over the age of 65 receiving intensive home care has risen from 7.9 per 1,000 in 1998–99 to 10.4 per 1,000 in 2002–03 and 57 per cent. of older people in England report that they were either very satisfied or extremely satisfied with the services they received in their own home.

Long-term Conditions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Government will ensure that the National Service Framework for Long Term Conditions is given sufficient priority by primary care trusts; and what the reasons were for the decision not to set milestones and targets.

Stephen Ladyman: Our strategy to support delivery of the NHS Plan is to set a clear national framework of standards backed up by strong inspection regimes and increasingly to give more responsibility to front-line health and social services providers so that local organisations have more flexibility and freedom to plan, resource and deliver services. As a result we set fewer central targets. Progress in policy areas not directly linked to national targets can be monitored and driven forward in a number of ways, for example:
	Primary care trusts can set local targets and performance manage progress locally.
	The Commission for Health Improvement (to become, subject to legislation, the Commission for Healthcare, Audit and Inspection) and the Social Services Inspectorate (to become, again subject to legislation, the Commission for Social Care Inspection) will take account of nationally set standards including national service frameworks when inspecting hospitals and other providers, and may undertake themed inspections.
	Patients' forums will be able to identify where services are not meeting the standards.
	Patient feedback, both informal and formal (for example, patient surveys), will provide a local means of identifying shortfalls in services.
	Policies like the expert patients programme and the patients choice programme are also giving people an increasing say in local services and their own treatment.

Mental Health

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to exempt people with mental health problems from paying prescription charges;
	(2)  if he will assess the long-term effects upon NHS finances of providing free prescriptions for people with long-term mental health problems; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: We have no plans to make an assessment of the effects upon national health service finances of providing free prescriptions for people with mental health problems.
	Prescription charges are expected to raise some £446 million for the NHS in 2003–04 and are a valuable source of revenue for the NHS.
	Our policy is to help those who may have difficulty in paying prescription charges, rather than extending the exemption arrangements. There are extensive exemption, remission and prepayment arrangements which mean that around 85 per cent. of all prescribed items are supplied free of charge. Around 10 per cent. of items are paid for at the point of dispensing with another five per cent. going to holders of prepayment certificates.
	Patients who are liable to pay may seek help through the NHS low income scheme or by using a prescription prepayment certificate need to pay more than £32.90 for four months or £90.40 for 12 months, for all the NHS medication that they are prescribed.

Mental Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of whether the prevalence of physical illness amongst mental health service users is higher than amongst the general population.

Rosie Winterton: The Office for National Statistics survey, "Psychiatric Morbidity Among Adults Living in Private Households", 2000, found that there was a clear relationship between the number of neurotic disorders present and the reporting of a physical complaint.
	Just under 38 per cent, of adults with no neurotic disorder reported having a physical complaint while this figure rose to 57 per cent, of those with one neurotic disorder. Among those with two or more neurotic disorders, 67 per cent, reported at least one physical complaint.
	The same survey found that people assessed as probably having a psychotic disorder were more likely than those without to report a longstanding physical health problem. Overall, 62 per cent, of those with probable psychosis reported a physical complaint, compared with only 42 per cent, of those without this disorder.

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health care beds in the independent sector have been occupied by NHS patients on average in the last five years, broken down by (a) number of patients and (b) bed days.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not centrally available. However, individual primary care trusts would be able to provide details of the beds they have commissioned from the independent sector upon request.
	Arrangements are being made for National Health Service use of the independent sector to be included in centrally returned data via hospital episodes statistics. In time, this will capture all activity sub-contracted by NHS trusts or commissioned by the NHS. Early estimates have been made in respect of general and acute activity only.

MRI Scans

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in (a) East Sussex and (b) England are waiting for MRI scans; and what the longest time is that a patient has had to wait for an MRI appointment.

John Hutton: Specific data on waiting times for diagnostic tests are not collected centrally. The central returns capture consultant speciality level data on waits for a first out-patient appointment and for in-patient admissions.
	However, it is the Government's priority to ensure that all patients are seen quickly in the first instance so that if diagnostic tests are required they are requested sooner. Where this is not the case, we are determined to speed up the process. The national health service is committed to reducing the length of time that people wait before their treatment starts and the NHS Plan set targets for staged reductions in waiting times.

MRI Scans

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his plans to provide additional MRI scanning capacity in East Sussex.

Rosie Winterton: Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals National Health Service Trust and Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust have been identified as priorities for an additional magnetic resonance imaging scanner from central funding. Both scanners will be delivered by December 2004.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are used in deciding which treatments are referred to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

Rosie Winterton: The work programme for the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is determined by Ministers having regard to national health service priorities and published selection criteria. These criteria are set out on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/nice/consultation2002/overviewdec02. pdf.

National Miminum Standards

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the formal status is of the national minimum standards of the National Care Standards Commission.

Stephen Ladyman: Whereas regulations are mandatory and form a statement of the law, compliance with national minimum standards is not itself enforceable. However, in assessing whether a care establishment conforms with the relevant regulations the National Care Standards Commission must take the national minimum standards into account.

National Service Framework

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he intends to publish the National Service Framework for long-term conditions;
	(2)  if he will provide additional ring-fenced funding for the implementation of the National Service Framework for Long-Term Conditions.

Stephen Ladyman: We currently plan to publish the national service framework for long term conditions at the end of next year. Implementation will take place over 10 years from 2005 and will be in line with our overall strategy to support delivery of the NHS Plan, which is to set a clear national framework of standards backed up by independent inspection and, increasingly, to give more responsibility to front-line health and social services providers so that local organisations have more flexibility and freedom to plan, resource and deliver services. As a result we are increasing general funding allocations to local national health service and social care organisations.

Needlestick Injury

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the introduction of safer devices to reduce the risk of needlestick injury in the NHS.

John Hutton: The Department is currently carrying out work on the production of guidance on health, safety and welfare issues for national health service staff. The Medical Devices Agency has also issued guidelines for the safer use of needles and sharps.
	We are working closely with colleagues from the Unions, Royal Colleges, Safer Needles Network and manufacturers and expect to launch new web based guidance in the spring of 2004.
	Both the Health and Safety Executive and the Department are advising NHS Trusts to carry out risk assessments in areas of high risk and to introduce into these areas "safer" devices, which they can then evaluate in use.
	The Department is also working closely with colleagues in the Health and Safety Executive, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the NHS Purchasing and Supplies Agency, to identify further action that can be taken on this issue.

NHS Charges

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much accrued to the NHS from charges on non-UK citizens for treatment in the NHS in each of the last five years.

John Hutton: Entitlement to free national health service treatment is based on residence in the United Kingdom. The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 place a duty on NHS trusts to establish whether a patient is ordinarily resident or otherwise eligible for free NHS hospital treatment and if not to levy a charge for any treatment provided.
	The amounts collected from NHS charged patients are not separately identified in trust accounts and are not collected centrally.

NHS Dentistry

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistics his Department has collected on the availability of NHS dentistry in each year since 1997; if he will make a statement on the level of availability of NHS dentistry; and what measures he is taking to increase the availability of NHS dentistry.

Rosie Winterton: For the general dental service (GDS), statistics are available each month as a by-product of the dentists' payment system. Relevant statistics include: the number of dentists; patient registrations; and the number of courses of treatment. The personal dental service (PDS) commenced in October 1998 and summary activity statistics are available. For the community dental service (CDS), data is available annually on the number of dentists and on activity. Information is also available annually on the emergency dental service (EDS). Since November 2001, information is also available on dental telephone calls made to NHS Direct.
	There were 18,200 GDS dentists in June this year, compared to 16,300 in June 1997; a rise of 1,900.
	From September 1996, the registration period for adults was shortened from 24 months to 15 months. As a result adult registrations fell between 1997 and August 1998. Registrations lapse if a patient does not attend during the registration period. In the five years between September 1998 and September 2003, adult registrations fell by 100,000, or 0.7 per cent.
	Children's registrations have fallen by 1.5 per cent., but the children's population is also falling.
	The number of adult courses of treatment in the GDS increased by about one million between 1997–98 and 2002–03. In addition, 500,000 patients were seen in 2002–03 in the PDS, which started in October 1998.
	With regard to EDS, a total of 17,000 sessions were worked in 1997–98 and 133,000 patients were seen. The corresponding figures for 2002–03 were 38,000 sessions and 241,000 patients.
	The number of episodes of care in the CDS fell from 1.1 million in 1997–98 to 0.6 million in 2002–03. During this time some CDS services have moved into PDS arrangements.
	The number of calls to NHS Direct increased from 11,000 in November 2001 to 18,000 in July 2003.
	We recognise that in some areas people are not able to register with a national health service dentist. Patients who cannot or choose not to register with a dentist can access dental services by telephoning NHS Direct for information on NHS dental services. Arrangements are also in place for patients to be seen under the GDS on an occasional basis.
	The Government remain committed to NHS dentistry and are taking forward major reform to modernise it. Subject to Parliament, under the Health & Social Care (Community Health & Standards) Bill primary care trusts (PCTs) will assume responsibility for commissioning primary dental services from April 2005. With this new responsibility will go the £1.2 billion funding for dentistry which is held centrally.
	The Health & Social Care (Community Health & Standards) Bill will also enable PCTs to provide assistance and support to dental practices with which they contract. To enable PCTs to provide such assistance in advance of 2005, the General Dental Services Incentive Schemes Directions 2003 have been published, together with guidance to PCTs.
	We have also set up a NHS support team to work with those areas which are hardest pressed and have announced new funding of £44 million to support dental access, choice and quality.

NHS Direct

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of NHS Direct staff has a clinical role.

Rosie Winterton: Information on each of the NHS Direct staffing groups is not collected centrally. The proportion of NHS Direct frontline staff who deal with the handling of clinical calls is 1,756. The figure of 1,756 comprises of 1,063 nurses, 543 call handlers and approximately 150 health information advisers.

NHS Direct

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases have been dealt with by NHS Direct; how many calls have been abandoned; how many call centres have closed; how many call centres are operational, and where they are; what the running costs in 2003–04 are of each call centre; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: NHS Direct has handled over twenty million calls since the launch of the service in March 1998. Since December 1999, NHS Direct has collected national data centrally and a total of eight per cent. of the total calls to NHS Direct have been abandoned. NHS Direct has been operating from twenty-two NHS Direct sites since October 2000 and all of these sites are still fully operational.
	Running costs for the 22 sites in 2003–04 are shown in the table.
	
		£
		
			 NHS Direct Site Running costs 2003–04 
		
		
			 Anglia 3,615,100 
			 Avon, Gloucester and Wiltshire 4,111,100 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 3,754,904 
			 Birmingham, Black Country and Solihull 4,412,627 
			 East Midlands 6,327,300 
			 Essex 3,997,750 
			 Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Wirral 6,018,350 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 5,102,673 
			 Kent, Surrey and Sussex 5,005,000 
			 Midland Shires 3,976,650 
			 North Central London 3,105,205 
			 North East 4,848,900 
			 North East London 2,067,000 
			 North West Coast 5,218,529 
			 South East London 3,480,144 
			 South West London 2,691,449 
			 South Yorkshire and South Humber 3,276,000 
			 Tees, East and North Yorkshire 3,759,000 
			 Thames Valley and Northamptonshire 4,177,866 
			 West Country 4,955,000 
			 West London 3,742,535 
			 West Yorkshire 5,196,450 
			 Total 92,839,532

NHS Direct

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average monthly running costs of NHS Direct have been over the last six months; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The average monthly running costs of NHS Direct over the last six months are approximately £12,686,000 a month.

NHS National Programme

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what cost-benefit analyses have been carried out as part of the initial work of the NHS National Programme projects.

John Hutton: Each major project within the national programme for information technology in the national health service (NPfIT) is subject to business case approval process. The business cases include what conventionally can be termed cost-benefit considerations, developed with increasing detail through the life of the project and subject to review and approval at key stages.
	The business cases completed and approved to date are as follows:
	NHS E-mail and Directory Service—Full business case approval received 13 September 2002, contract awarded to EDS on 26 September 2002.
	Electronic appointment booking—Full business case approval received 26 September 2003, contract awarded to SchlumbergerSema on 8 October 2003.
	The procurement process is continuing for the remaining key elements of NPfIT and relevant business case approval will be received before proceeding through to final award of contract for the following:
	Integrated care records service (includes local service providers for the geographic clusters and national application service provider for NHS Data Spine)
	N3 (The New NHS Network).

National Institute for Clinical Excellence

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria the National Institute for Clinical Excellence uses to decide when to look at new treatments in between their particular class appraisals.

Rosie Winterton: The work programme for the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is determined by Ministers having regard to national health service priorities and published selection criteria. These criteria are set out on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/nice/consultation2002/overviewdec02. pdf

National Institute for Clinical Excellence

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide the National Institute for Clinical Excellence with extra funds (a) to carry out more appraisals and (b) to issue interim guidance on new technologies during 2004.

Rosie Winterton: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has been notified of its funding for the three financial years 2003–04 to 2005–06. The funding includes provision for an additional appraisal committee to be established.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is being given to funders to ensure that new medical treatments that are class compatible with the National Institute for Clinical Excellence appraised treatments are not denied funding because they have become licensed in between NICE's appraisal.

Rosie Winterton: In August 1999, the Department issued Health Service Circular 1999/176, which asks national health service bodies to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is not available at the time the technology first became available. These arrangements should involve an assessment of all the available evidence.

Nurses

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many learning disability specialist nurses are employed in each primary care trust;
	(2)  what the ratio is of specialist learning disability nurses to (a) population and (b) patients receiving such specialist care in each primary care trust area.

John Hutton: holding answer 11 November 2003
	Information is not collected centrally on the number of patients receiving specialist learning disabilities care. Employment arrangements of learning disabilities nurses vary from place to place; they are employed by organisations other than primary care trusts (PCTs), which often cover several PCT areas. It is therefore not possible to show the ratio of qualified learning disability nurses to PCT populations. Information on the number of qualified learning disabilities nurses by strategic health authority and per 100,000 population has been placed in the Library.

Older People (Services)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the definition of a stroke unit in relation to the milestones within the National Service Framework for Older People.

Stephen Ladyman: The formal definition of a stroke unit is still being developed. We would expect, however, that there would be a consultant physician with specialist knowledge of stroke formally recognised as having principal responsibility for stroke services. This consultant would be supported by a multi-disciplinary team who are specialists in stroke care.

Overseas Treatment Scheme

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 9 June 2003, Official Report, column 692W, on overseas treatment, how many further operations have been carried out abroad under the NHS overseas treatment scheme; whether he is now in possession of information on the clinical outcomes of these operations; and what proportion of them resulted in medical complications.

John Hutton: Since 9 June 2003, no patients have been treated in France as part of the overseas treatment programme. The total number of patients treated in France is 275. The total number of patients treated abroad, including the pilot project, is 588.
	The Department does not routinely collect information about the post-operative complication rates arising after surgery for patients treated abroad.
	National health service organisations may collect and analyse this kind of information, among other indicators of quality, as part of their local clinical governance arrangements designed to assure and continuously improve the quality of care for all NHS patients. The NHS is responsible for ensuring that NHS patients receive high clinical standards of care wherever they are treated. From November 2003, where orthopaedic patients are treated abroad, there is support and agreement to register these patients on the United Kingdom National Joint Registry.
	East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust local audit committee, commissioned by the overseas commissioners, is undertaking a comparative audit of outcomes against patients treated by local consultants. When completed, East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust will hold this information.

Patient Forums

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the proposed statutory patient and public involvement forums in England are served by local network providers who are insolvent.

Rosie Winterton: No local network provider contracted to support patients' forums is insolvent.
	One organisation involved in a joint contract, The College of Health, has recently become insolvent. However, the Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations, which was a joint contractor with the College of Health to provide staff support, is now contracted solely to provide the support to the patients' forums previously covered under the joint contract.

Patient Forums

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will determine which applicants will be selected to serve on each patient and public involvement forum.

Rosie Winterton: The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health is responsible for appointing members of patients' forums. Regional managers or delegated members of staff lead the selection decision for each potential patients' forum member. The decision is made against nationally uniform selection criteria, supported by an appeals procedure.

Patient Forums

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications have been received for each patient and public involvement forum.

Rosie Winterton: Information for individual patients' forums is not available. The national figure for applications for membership of patients' forums is 3,793 at 11 November 2003, which represents over 90 per cent. of the target for the first tranche of recruitment.

Patient Forums

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that (a) organisations given contracts to organise patients' forums and (b) the members of patients' forums (i) have experience in patient advocacy, (ii) have knowledge of the working practices of the NHS and (iii) live in the local community.

Rosie Winterton: People from all walks of life are encouraged to join patients' forums, bringing with them a diversity of experience and views. The majority of members of a forum must be people for whom services are being or have been provided by the relevant national health service trust or relevant primary care trust (PCT) and, in the case of PCTs' patients' forums, are living in the area where the service is provided. A general understanding of the NHS by members is desirable. More important is to find individuals who have a real interest in improving services and a commitment to represent the views of the community served by the trust or PCT.
	Local network providers were identified using a competitive tendering programme and were awarded contracts on the basis of their ability to provide effective support at a community level, not where they were located.
	It is not the role of patients' forums or local network providers to provide patient advocacy. Under the new system this is given by patient advice and liaison services and independent complaints advocacy services.

Patient Forums

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patient forums are in place; and how many members have been appointed.

Rosie Winterton: The programme of recruitment to the patients' forums is still under way. We understand the national and local advertising campaigns have elicited a large number of applications, which are currently being processed by the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH). The CPPIH is on track for achieving full forum coverage by 1 December.

Performance Targets

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his Answer to the honourable Member for Truro and St Austell of 6th February 2003, Official Report, column 450W, on performance targets, how his Department will measure progress towards achieving the public service agreement target on value for money.

John Hutton: The value for money Public Service Agreement (PSA) target requires that 'Value for money in the National Health Service and personal social services will improve by at least 2 per cent. per annum, with annual improvements of 1 per cent, in both cost efficiency and service effectiveness'.
	For the NHS, the cost efficiency element of the PSA target will be measured by comparing data from the National Schedule of Reference Costs between one year and the previous year. Adjustments to this simple comparison will be made to take account of changes in casemix, quality investment, input price inflation and externally driven, one-off, cost-increasing events such as rising employer pensions contributions.
	The quality element of the target will be assessed by comparing the estimated expenditure on increasing service effectiveness with data on quality from the NHS performance ratings exercise. A key element of this will be the value that can be placed on the lives saved from reducing mortality following health care interventions.
	For personal social services, costs will be based on unit costs of services, after some adjustments to allow for increases in funding for quality improvements. The quality element will be based on the quality indicators published by the Department, in the social services performance assessment framework, for instance, waiting times for care packages.

Personal Care

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to reassess the means test limit for personal care costs.

Stephen Ladyman: All individuals receiving residential care services are assessed as to their ability to pay for the cost of personal care and for their board and lodging. The capital limits used in the means test are subject to an annual review. Any revisions would be implemented from April 2004. Care from a registered nurse is free to individuals in all settings regardless of their financial position following an assessment of their care needs.

Pressure Ulcers

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of pressure ulcers occurring in the NHS in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority, in each of the last six years; if he will estimate the cost of pressure ulcers to the NHS in these years; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not held centrally. We are taking steps to improve services for patients with pressure ulcers.
	A pressure ulcer risk assessment and prevention guideline was published by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in April 2001. An updated version of the guideline was published on 22 October 2003. The guideline outlines best practice for health professionals caring for individuals who are vulnerable to or at risk of developing pressure ulcers.
	A wound care package of guidelines is also currently being developed by NICE, which will include a guideline on pressure ulcer treatment.
	As part of the guideline development process, NICE estimated that the cost of treating pressure ulcers may be as high as £750 million a year.

Psychiatric Hospitals

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) in-patients and (b) in-patient beds there are in psychiatric hospitals in England and Wales; how many individuals serving prison sentences have been diagnosed with severe mental health problems; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: There were 178,065 admissions to National Health Service inpatient facilities under mental illness specialties in 2001–02, the latest year for which figures are available. The data has not been grossed for coverage and therefore has a provisional status.
	Information about the number of beds in psychiatric hospitals in England is not available. However, the average daily number of mental illness beds for England in 2002–03 was 32,753. Questions about Wales are now matters for the devolved administration.
	We cannot say precisely how many sentenced prisoners have been diagnosed with severe mental health problems. Based on data from a survey of mental ill-health in the prison population of England and Wales, undertaken in 1997 by the Office for National Statistics, the NHS Plan (2000) stated that at any time some 5,000 people with a serious mental illness will be in prison.

Smallpox Vaccine

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS staff were given smallpox vaccine in 2002–03; and how many suffered ill-effects as a result of the immunisations.

John Hutton: As of 4 November 2003, the number of health care workers who have been vaccinated in England stood at 262. Of this total, 128 are doctors, 116 are nurses, 15 are scientists and three are from other areas.
	Information on suspected vaccine-associated adverse events experienced as part of the current vaccination programme have been collected by the Health Protection Agency and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. The type of adverse reactions noted after smallpox vaccinations so far were mostly non-serious; the majority were expected reactions to successful vaccination with smallpox vaccine or are known to occur after any vaccination. These included reactions at the site of injection, fever, feeling unwell and swollen glands. Two vacinees were hospitalised, one with suspected encephalitis and one with severe local cellulitis. A further four people developed cellulitis at the injection site. Two vacinees reported shortness of breath. One vacinee retrospectively reported having experienced retrospective symptoms of suspected mycocarditis though no confirmation tests were carried out. Adverse experience occurring after vaccination does not necessarily mean that the vaccine caused the problem. Other factors, such as an underlying illness present before vaccination, must be considered as possible alternative causes.

Social Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 6 October 2003, Official Report, column 1351W, on social services, how the figure published in paragraph 2.79 of the Chief Inspector of Social Services Annual Report was derived.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 27 October 2003
	The Department is working towards achieving a guideline figure of 5 per cent. vacancy rates across the social care work force. The figures published in paragraph 2.76 are based upon current data published in the Social Services Workforce Survey 2002, gathered by the Employers Organisation on behalf of the Department.
	The figure of 50,000 whole-time equivalent (wte) people to join the work force is derived from an estimated 20,000 wte people coming into the system to staff service development and an additional 30,000 wte identified from SR2002 funding, estimated to be sufficient to bring vacancy rates down to the 5 per cent. guideline.
	The figures about the number of care trusts were extracted from the delivery and improvement statements which are those self reported to Social Services Inspectorate by all councils in May 2002. Each council was asked to report on progress with care trust planning.
	We can confirm that the actual number of children's trusts is 35. The number previously reported in the published Chief Inspector's report of 34 was an error.

Strokes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the average waiting time of those waiting for a scan after a suspected stroke; and if he will make a statement on waiting times for these scans.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally. The target in this area is to achieve a computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scan in less than 48 hours. The summary report of the 2001–02 National Sentinel Stroke Audit reported that more patients than ever had brain imaging, with at least 83 per cent. meeting that target.

Strokes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the research his Department has commissioned on the cost of (a) treating and (b) caring for patients who have had a stroke.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has not commissioned any recent research on the cost of treating and caring for patients who have had a stroke.

Valuing People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures within Valuing People are aimed at children; and what plans he has to expand its remit.

Stephen Ladyman: Our proposals for improving services for people with learning disabilities, their families, and carers are set out in the White Paper, Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century (Cm 5086), published in March 2001. Valuing People had a chapter on disabled children which set out Government objectives and proposals for maximising opportunities for disabled children and supporting young people's transition into adulthood. In particular, it set out how we would develop an integrated approach to supporting disabled children. In Making Change Happen (HC 514), our 2003 annual report to Parliament on learning disability, we highlighted the progress we had made towards the achievement of the objectives.
	The Green Paper, Every Child Matters gave further commitments to improving services for disabled children and their families, particularly through: the development of the children's national service framework, which will set new national standards across the National Health Service, social services and interface with education for children; the development of the children trusts pathfinders, a significant number of which will focus on disabled children and their families; and the forthcoming special educational needs action programme.

Waiting Lists

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the clinical areas where the NHS in London has longer (a) waiting lists and (b) waiting times than the national average.

John Hutton: The clinical areas where the national health service in London has longer waiting lists and waiting times than the national average is shown in the tables.
	
		Consultant specialties in London where the waiting list per 100,000 head of population is higher than the national position: Position at 30 June 2003
		
			   Waiting list per 100,000 head ofpopulation 
			 Specialtycode Specialty National London Difference 
		
		
			  
			  
			 101 Urology 140.39 150.18 9.79 
			 120 Ear, Nose and Throat 196.32 219.81 23.49 
			 141 Restorative dentistry 0.92 4.13 3.21 
			 142 Paediatric dentistry 2.94 8.50 5.56 
			 171 Paediatric surgery 16.78 20.24 3.46 
			 190 Anaesthetics 8.53 9.54 1.02 
			 302 Endocrinology 0.63 2.28 1.65 
			 303 Clinical haematology 0.96 1.02 0.05 
			 305 Clinical pharmacology 0.00 0.01 0.01 
			 310 Audiological medicine 0.05 0.28 0.22 
			 314 Rehabilitation 0.26 0.42 0.16 
			 320 Cardiology 62.52 82.51 20.00 
			 330 Dermatology 4.61 6.96 2.35 
			 340 Thoracic medicine 2.28 7.05 4.77 
			 350 Infectious diseases 0.02 0.03 0.01 
			 361 Nephrology 1.34 3.77 2.43 
			 370 Medical oncology 0.33 1.11 0.79 
			 400 Neurology 4.88 8.71 3.83 
			 401 Clinical neuro-physiology 0.09 0.35 0.26 
			 420 Paediatrics 1.92 4.72 2.80 
			 421 Paediatric neurology 0.51 1.86 1.36 
			 502 Gynaecology 159.14 168.98 9.84 
			 823 Haematology 0.13 0.42 0.29 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health form QF01
	
		Consultant specialties in London where the median waiting time is higher than the national average: Position at 30 June 2003
		
			Median waiting times (months) 
			 Specialtycode Specialty National average London average Difference 
		
		
			  
			  
			 100 General surgery 2.68 2.70 0.01 
			 101 Urology 2.38 2.53 0.16 
			 110 Trauma and orthopaedics 3.66 3.74 0.08 
			 120 Ear, Nose and Throat 2.90 3.50 0.60 
			 142 Paediatric dentistry 2.39 2.46 0.07 
			 160 Plastic surgery 3.09 3.44 0.35 
			 191 Pain Management 2.15 2.62 0.47 
			 300 General medicine 1.89 2.06 0.17 
			 303 Clinical haematology 1.68 1.79 0.11 
			 310 Audiological medicine 2.33 2.42 0.09 
			 314 Rehabilitation 2.19 2.21 0.02 
			 330 Dermatology 1.81 2.01 0.20 
			 340 Thoracic medicine 1.85 1.93 0.08 
			 350 Infectious diseases 1.93 2.25 0.32 
			 360 Genito-urinary medicine 1.93 2.25 0.32 
			 361 Nephrology 1.89 2.01 0.12 
			 370 Medical oncology 1.61 1.62 0.01 
			 371 Nuclear medicine 1.72 4.00 2.28 
			 400 Neurology 2.35 2.82 0.48 
			 401 Clinical neuro-physiology 2.76 4.50 1.74 
			 410 Rheumatology 1.81 1.93 0.12 
			 420 Paediatrics 1.98 2.26 0.27 
			 421 Paediatric neurology 2.19 2.41 0.22 
			 430 Geriatric medicine 1.96 2.88 0.91 
			 450 Dental medicine specialities 1.71 2.84 1.14 
			 502 Gynaecology 2.30 2.36 0.06 
			 620 GP (non maternity) 1.70 2.00 0.30 
			 710 Mental illness 1.61 2.79 1.18 
			 800 Clinical Oncology 1.52 1.80 0.28 
			 810 Radiology 2.04 2.14 0.11 
			 823 Haematology 1.63 1.72 0.10 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health form QF01.

Systemic Neglect (NHS Hospitals)

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of systemic neglect have been reported by users at NHS hospitals in (a) England and (b) Shropshire in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.

Waiting Times

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for hearing assessments for (a) patients under 60 and (b) patients over 60, broken down by primary care trust, was in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally. We have invested £94 million over two years, which will be used to make digital hearing aids available across England by April 2005.

Working Time Directive

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will revoke the application of the European Working Time Directive as it applies to the healthcare profession.

John Hutton: No. European Directives are negotiated and implemented across member states and they cannot be revoked by an individual country.